The ori­ginal & sprynge of all sectes & or­ders by whome, whā or were they beganne.

Translated out of hye Dutch in Englysh.

1537

To the reader.

FOr as much as ther is in the worlde great disputacyon & reasonynge of sectes, and so many also of the same sectes and religions both contrarye to Christes moost holy religion, and also among themselues. To induce them therfore vnto thyne vnderstandynge (moost gentle reader) and to describe them vnto thy knowlege, we haue here gathered together the names, fashions and maner of lyuynges of all suche sectes and orders as are not onely vnder the B. of Rome but al­so both amonge the Christen and amonge ye Iewes, how and whan they came vp, with the maner also of theyr garmentes and sundrye clothynges.

Which treatise yf thou reade diligently, thou shalte thynke it no maruayll, that ther is now suche contencyon and diuision in ye worlde, in as much as ther was no tyme, no age, no generacyon sence the begynnynge, but alwaye ther hath ben some sectes, some diuersite of opinion, and some sundrye ma­ner of belefe in ye same. The Iewes lacked not theyr Pharisees, theyr Saduces, theyr Effeies. &c. The communite also of Christē [Page] dome hath this lōge tyme not ben without innumerable sectes and dyuerse religions, stablyshed by the B. of Rome. Yee euery lande nacyon and contrye, hath in a maner a sundry fasshion of lyuynge, a sundry fashion of doctrine, a sundry fasshiō of clothyng, &c. and hath had (I saye) this longe season. And though some of them which be called seetes, are not farre frō Christ nor his fayth yet the moost parte (specyally of them that be brought in by ye B. of Rome) are no lesse contrary vnto Christ, then were ye false pro­phetes in tymes past, then were the phari­ses, and then were the heretikes that haue ben sens Christes incarnacyon. For in as much as they wyll not onely be called other wyse then Christen, but denye also ye power lyfe, fayth and merites of Christe, who can then be more contrary to hym: who are thē more worthy to be called brethren of sectes and diuision, then such are?

As thou seyst therfore ye theyr doctrine is contrary to Christes, yt they preach lyes and dreames, that they deceaue the hartes of innocentes thorow fayre and flatterynge wordes. Rom. xvi. that they come to the but in shepes clothynge Math. vii. that they de­nye [Page] the power of godlynesse. ii. Timo. iii. that they deuoure wydowes houses vnder the pretence of longe prayers. Math. xxiii. So be thou ware of them, of theyr false doctrin, of theyr lyes & dreames, of theyr fayre and flattryng wordes, of theyr fayned holynesse. For all is not golde that shyneth, ne­ther are they all of Christes couent, that weare brode crownes, wide coules, and syde coates. And forget not that S. Paul sayeth. The deuell can chaunge hymselfe in to an­gell of lyght.

Shute not thou thē at a wronge marke but holde the vnto Christ, and to the vnite of his doctrine, of his fayth and of his religion, that thou mayest here be fre from all false hypocrisy, and not only knyt vnto him herein this world, but inheritour also of his ioye in heauen.

Amen.

¶ The contentes of thys treatyse.

  • 1 lxxxiiii. Orders, sectes or religiōs vnder the byshop of Rome.
  • 2 xiiii. Faythes and sectes of Chistēdom only, besyde all other.
  • 3 xvi. Sectes and supersticiōs of the Iewes or Hebrues.

¶ The nombre of this Table sig­nyfyeth the leafe, A the fyrst syde therof, and B the seconde.

  • Austinians the fyrst order vi a
  • Ambrosians two sortes vi. b
  • Antonyes heremites ix. b
  • Austins heremites xi. b
  • Austins obseruauntes xii. b
  • Armenians secte xlv. a
  • Ammonites and Moabites lix. b
  • Basilius order iii. a
  • Benets order iiii b
  • Bernardes order xiiii. b
  • Barefooted freres xxxii b
  • S. Brigittes order xxvii. b
  • Beghartes or whyte spretes xxviii. b
  • Bemes fayth xlvii. a
  • Brethren of Ierusalem xxxv. b
  • Brethren of S. Ihon de ciuitate xxxvi. b
  • Brethren of wylfull pouerte xxxvi. b
  • Cluniacensis order iiii. a
  • Chanons of S. Austine vii. b
  • Charterhouse order viii. a
  • Cisterciensis order xiii. b
  • Crosse bearers or crossed freres xviii. a
  • Carmelites or whyte freres xviii. b
  • S. Clares order xxii. a
  • Celestines order xxii. b
  • Camaldulensis order xxxi. a
  • [Page] Crosse starred brethrenxxxiiii. a
  • Constantinopolitanysh order xxxiiii. a
  • Crosse bearers xxxvii. b
  • Chapter monkes xxxviii. b
  • Dutch order xxii b
  • Esset li. a
  • Grandimontensis order v. a
  • Gregorians v. b
  • Georges order xxix b
  • Guilhelmites xxxii. a
  • Grecians fayth xliii a
  • Georgians fayth xlviii b
  • Gerundinensysh order xxxix. b
  • Galilei or Galileans liiii. b
  • Heremites i. b
  • S. Helens brethren xxxv. a
  • Humiliati xvi. b
  • Hospitall brethren xli. b
  • Holy goost order xl. b
  • Ieroms order. ii. sortes vii. a
  • Ihons heremites. x. b
  • S. Iustines order xi. b
  • S. Ihons order xxv. a
  • Iniesuati xxvi. b
  • Ieroms heremites xxx. b
  • Iosephs order xxxii. a
  • Indian fayth xliii b
  • Indian fayth vttred by Mathew lxi. a
  • Iacobites secte. xliiii. a
  • [Page] S. Iames brethren order xxxv. a
  • S. Iames brethrē wt ye swearde xxxv. a
  • Indians order xxxvii. a
  • Iewes lii. b
  • Idumet lv. a
  • S. Katherine of Senes order xli. b
  • Keyed monkes xli. b
  • Lazarites or Mary Magdalēs xxxvi. b
  • Lordes of Ungary xl. b
  • Minores or Minorites xxi. a
  • Maryes seruauntes xxv. a
  • Monkes of mount olyuete xxix. a
  • Marouinyes secte xliiii. a
  • Moronites secte xliiii. b
  • Mosarabites fayth xlvi. b
  • Moscouites fayth xlvii. a
  • Monachi and Monache xxxix. a
  • Morboney and Meristei l. a
  • Menelaysh & Iasonysh secte lix. b
  • New chanons of S. Austine xi. a
  • Nestorini xliiii. b
  • Nolharte brethren xxxiiii. b
  • New order of oure lady xxxvi a
  • Nazarei liiii. a
  • Paules heremites x. a
  • Premonstratensis order xvi. b
  • Preacher order, or black freres xix. a
  • Peter the Apostles order xxx. a
  • Purgatory brethren xl. a
  • [Page] Pharisei or Pharisets l. a
  • Romane fayth xlii. b
  • Rechabites liii. a
  • Sarrabaites vii. b
  • Sambonites xvii. a
  • Scourgers the. i. secte xxii. a
  • Souldyers of Iesus Christe xxvi. a
  • Scopetines xxvii. a
  • Specularii or the glasse order xli. b
  • Surian fayth xlvi. a
  • Sepulchrers order xxxiii. a
  • Sheere order xxxiii. a
  • Swearders order xxxiii. a
  • Starred monkes xxxiii. b
  • Starred freres xxxiii. b
  • Sclauony order xxxvi. a
  • Scourgers the. ii. secte xxxvii. b
  • Stoole brethren xxxix. b
  • Scotlande brethren order xl. a
  • Samaritani xlix. b
  • Saducei li. a
  • Sicarii, lvi. b
  • Templare Lordes xv. a
  • Templare knyghtes xvi. a
  • The vale of Iosaphat order xxxv. b
  • Uallis vmbrose iiii. a
  • Waldenses secte xlviii a
  • Wentzelaus order xxxiiii. b
  • zelotes lv. b

Of sectes and orders.
¶ A treatyse of all sectes and orders where, whan & by whom they are begōne, stablyshed and confirmed.

¶ Of the Byshop of Rome, Car­dinals and other of hys spiritualty in generall.

IN thys register or rehearsall of sectes is the Byshop of Rome (that vsurpatly called hymselfe Pope) the fyrst in ordre, as an heade & father of hys whole body, accom­panyed wyth hys members, chylderen and creatures as a henne wyth hyr chekens, na­mely: Cardinals, Patriarkes, Byshops, Curtisans, Prestes, Monkes, Freres, & hys whole spiritualty. Whose holynesse and lyfe (God be thanked) is so come to lyght, yt euen the chylderen vpon ye strete do speake and synge of it. And the deuell also doth shewe hym as though he were wery of hym [Page] out of the worlde, but myddes of the deuels kyngdome, that is the worlde, to watch, and be sober in all godlynesse. For God wyll haue hys to be abrode & in the lyght. Ioh. iii. and Math. v. and set them iudges ouer the whole worlde. He can separate and kepe the roses frō thornes welynough. I knowe none example in the whole scripture of bodely separatynge frome the worlde, saue only of Christe, Moses, and Helias, whiche nother toke vpon them to dwell in wyldernesses, but only for a season to faste or commune wt God. Wherfore I cā not be persuaded that thys lyfe is so acceptable to God. Christe knoweth how nedeful the true Christēmen be in thys world. Fyrst, that they may lygh­ten and shyne in the worlde: Secondarly, yt they maye teach and exhorte: Thyrdly that they may geue counsell and helpe, geuynge a good example to euery man, and stoppe ye mouthes of bacbyters with ye truth. Fourthly that God condemne the worlde with thē. Yf ony man wyll here allege Ihon Baptist I answer: Ihon fled not alwaye the com­pany of men, but only whan he wold prayeor faste, otherwhyles was he in Herodes courte, where he shoned no man as the he­remites [Page 3] do, but preached vnto them repen­taunce, receauyng them that came to hym, and at tyme conuenient he wente agayne whether the sprete led hym. Thus maye one beynge myddes in the worlde also, be out of the world, as all Christen men ought to be, and as Abraham in Canaan, Daniell in Babilon, Ioseph in Egipte. These fore­sayde heremites were in ye tyme of Decius, Ualens, Theodosius and Dicletian, from ccc. year after Christ vntyl. M. about what tyme monkes order beganne. Some saye they fled persecution in the wyldernesses of Egipte, and so were fayne to dwell there vnknowen loke vpon Otho byshop of fri­singen. the. vii. boke ye. xxv. chap. thorowout.

iii. Basilius order.

ANno. ccc. lxxxiiii. in the tyme of Siri­cius B. of Rome began thy fyrst monkysh order, raysed by Basilius Mag­nus, byshop of Cesarea in Cappadocia. Theyr cote, cloke, cole, and cappe were all whyte. He prescrybed them a rule mixte wyth manye tradicions and doctrines of men: Wherfore he is called of them a fa­ther and a begynner of relygyous people, [Page] whose lyfe he also prayseth, so that he optay­ned of the aforesayde Syricius to confirme the order. He called them Monachi, that is, solitary or separate from the worlde, and founded in Grece the fyrst house or cloyster How they be diuided and separate from the world, we haue sene and do se dayly.

iiii. Benedictus or Benets order.

SBenet a father of monks, whiche gathered together all strowed reli­gious men, dyd begynne a peculiar order Anno. M. xxiiii. in the tyme of Ihon ye i. B. of Rome vpon the mount Lassinus, where he buylt ye moost renowned cloyster, geuynge them there a rule, prescripte, and forme of lyuynge, as though Christ had for­gotten it. Now after he had longe shyned in a wyldernesse, & muche resorte was to hym by reason of hys Gods seruice, he buylt. xii. places and fylled them with religious men. Of thys order is reported to haue ben. xxiiii B. of Rome. c. lxxxiii. Cardinals. M. cccc. lxiiii. Archbyshops and byshops. xv. M. and lxx. renowned Abbots, and as sayeth Ihon the. xxii. Byshops of Rome. v. M. vi. c. lv. monkes canonisate or sayntes. Thys is [Page 4] the. iii. broode that the B. of Rome hath hatchte. He raysed also an order for hys syster Scolastica, and made her abbesse: hyr clothynge was a black cote, cloke, cole, and vayle. And lest the scripture shulde deceaue her and hyrs, it was commaunded that none shulde reade the holy scripture wythout consente or permission of theyr superior. Here is to be sene how God is sought in all orders, which in hys worde is expelled.

v. Cluniacensis order.

ANno. ix. c. xiii. hath S. Benets order begotten thys secte whose bygynner was Otho the abbot. For whan the monkes of S. Benets rule were nerehande decayed in godlynesse, thys Otho lyued so, that they were quickened agayne byreason of hys holynesse. Theyr clothynge and rule was as Saynt Benets. A duke of A­quitania Guillidinus by name relyued the Giginacy or Cluniacis cloysters wyth greate substaunce, and yearly rentes.

vi. Uallis vmbrose or Shadowed vale order.

[Page] ANno. M. cccc. or as some saye: āno. M. lxx. Ihon a Florentine, whose father called Gualbertus was a knyght, dyd begynne thys order vnder S. Benets rule wyth addynge therto, and chaungynge of black clothes into graye: whereof ther is many in Tuscia and vpper Lōbardy. Thys Ihon after the tenoure of hys story or legēd was come to the monkery or cole after this fashion: He was at variaunce with an vp­landysh man, for slayenge of hys brother, wherfore as he vpon a tyme rode out of Florence to auenge hys brothers death, the manslayer met hym euen in the teth, not farre from the cloyster Minati in the moū ­taynes, vpon whome he fell. Now whan the vplandysh man sawe no escapynge, he fell at hys fete, desyrynge hym for the cruci­fyed Iesus Christe to pardon and forgeue hym hys offence. Where vpon Ihon was so reconciled concernynge the manslaughter, that he abatyng hys moode and leauynge hys fury, forgaue hym all the dette. Now as he wente from thence in the afore sayde cloyster, and fell downe bofore the crucifixe there shuld ye image haue moued & bekēned [Page 5] with the heade, sygnifyenge that God was pleased with the forgeuenesse of the dette vnto the manslayer: which crosse is yet at this houre sene by Florence vpon an hyll, where greatreuerence is shewed to it. Up­pon this was he styred to geue hymselfe o­uer vnto a spirituall conuersacyon, gat him a none to an ende of the mount Apenninus where he buylded a cloyster, and beganne this order. At ye last he dyed Anno M. lxxiii. after that the order was well encreased in persones and cloysters.

vii. Grandimontesis order.

ANno. M. lxxvi. vnder Alexāder the. ii. B. of Rome dyd this newe order be­gynne, by one Steuen the sonne of a gentylmā of Auernia: which trauayled many cōtries to seke out a solitary place, wher he myght serue God quyetly: at the laste he came in Aquitania, where he founde a moū tayne full of woodes, and spryngynge fountaynes, and an vntroden lande. There dyd this Steuē pytche, and beganne a strayght lyfe wyth fastynge, watchynge and prayeng to God. His meate was bread and water, his clothynge was a cote of males vpō his [Page] bare body, and a black cloke ther vpō, where wt he dyd penaunce, & y magined to become ryghteous before God. With this lyfe he gathered many discyples, whom he exhorted to wylfull pouerte. Now thought the mon­kes of S. Austins order theyr tytle to be better to yt place: wherfore ye brethren wolde remyue wt a good wyl, prayenge God instātly to shew thē another cōuenient place. Wherfore vpon a tyme as Agnus dei was songe at masse, a voyce (whether it came frō God or ye deuel) was herde, sayenge: In Grandi­monte. Upon this they rose & buylded there a cloyster or place for them.

viii. Gregorians order.

IN the yeare. ccccc. xciiii. dyd Grego­rius Magnus borne of a noble stock of Rome, very plenteously endued wt goodes of fortune forsake all, & chose a rely­gious state. After the deceasse of his father he builded. vi. religious houses in Sicilia, geuynge thē a forme & rule of lyuynge: and he buylded another wtin Rome, in the name & honour of S. Andrew, wherin he dwelte wt many brethrē, whō he steared greatly to the subduyng & chastenynge of ye fleshe. He dyd we are a copper coloured course cloth accordyng to his rule. His brethren (because they [Page 6] kept his rule as diligētly, as yf it had bē gods word) they wer called Gregoriās after hym.

ix. The fyrst order of S. Austins.

IN the year. cccc. xc. dyd S. Austine (after yt his mother was departed) sayle vnto Cartago wt his brethrē, distributed his patrimony amōge poore folke, & be­gan in a house in ye woodes to take vpō him to folow the Apostles by a rule, hauynge a sleght black garmēt: whether it was a cole, or not, I can not shew. I rekē it was in dede a blacke garmēt as shalbe specifyed here af­ter in ye order of ye chanōs: Ther is no order as it was institut: Yee though ye foūders of thē had a fre & good meaning, (wherof I am not sure) yet by addyng & abatynge more or lesse thē Austyne or Benet & such other in­stitut they are so sore chasiged, yt they shulde not now know theyr brethrē. I fynd nomore of S. Austin but yt he was feruēt to folow ye Apostles, couetyng & endeuouryng to lyue after theyr example, wherfore he called his rule ye gospel. But I feare me lest ye deuel also haue scoffed wt S. Austine & his good meanyng: For yf ye rule be his, wherfore calleth he her ye gospel: yf she is Christes, wherfore calleth he yt rule yt is p̄scribed al mē his own? [Page] as though euery Christē man neded not to lyue after the ensample of Christ and his Apostles? Fynally in euery playe hath the deuell one parte. It passeth my capacyte to shewe the manyfold dyuersite of the orders of S. Austyne. Yee I feare lest Austyne him selfe shuld scarce know thē for his disciples.

x. Ambrosius order, two sortes.

OF S. Ambrose that was in S. Austi­nes tyme aboute the yeare of oure Lorde. cccc. xc. & dyd conuerte hym, I reade no mōkry. But I thynke some apes or counterfayters haue presumed to folowe his lyfe, seynge he was coūted for a monster of the worlde, & haue at ony tyme sene hym haue on a graye or russet garment, and so counterfayted hys clothynge and conuersa­cyon: but the pyth wherin all cōsysteth, that is, fayth in the hart, that haue they left him, hauynge a rechelesse harte vnder a graye garment. An other order is ther rekened of S. Ambrose, which weare whyte cotes, and a cloke theron, wherewith they foolyshly y­magyne to do God an acceptable seruyce, and yet they (as all other) are playne heretykes: seynge they seke health and thynke to [Page 7] meryte therby by God, whiche hath an eye to fayth onely. Iere. v. loketh vpon ye worke­mayster and tre, and not vpon the frutes or workes. Gen. iiii. Pro. xxi. Math. vii. &. xii.

xi. Ieronimus order. ii. kyndes.

AFter Christes byrth. cccc. xc. yeare or there about toke Ierome vpon hym ye religious or heremiticall clothynge, in the wyldernesse of Syria, after he was consecrate a prest & cardinall at Rome. Af­terwarde anno. M. cccc. viii. rose a new beggynge order vnder the name of S. Ierome in the tyme of Innocentius the. vii. Anno M. cccc. v. a county Redo by name a religi­ous man of the. iii. order of S. Fraunces in the lande of Etruria by the towne Fesula­na, whose companion was Water Marsis. These twayne dyd begynne, institute and augmente this order of obseruacyon. This order is brought vnder the rule of S. Au­styne, by the reason of the excellent vowe of Gregory the. xii. B. of Rome, & endued with priueleges and lybertyes. Whan thys order now was decaied & neare hande come to nought, it was renewed and restored a­gayne by one Lupus a Spaynyard, general [Page] of ye same order, which ordened new cōstituciōs & orders, takē of ye sayenges of S. Ierō, & was cōfirmed wt sundry preuileges & fran­chises by Eugeniꝰ ye. iiii. B. of R. & wt a gray cloke ī remēbraūce of yt religiō of ye aforsayd iii. order. This was don anno. m. cccc. xxxvii

xii. Chanons or regular prestes.

THis order began to florysh agayne in yt tyme of Gregory ye. vii. & Hēry the iiii. emperour, an. M. lxxx. ī ye church of S. Quirin at Beulake ye which was first institute by ye Apostles, after by S. Austine, & now by master Yuon prouest of the same church, which was afterward B. of carnotū They weare a blacke gowne, & a scapulary wounde aboute the arme, they be halfe mō ­kes and halfe prestes.

xiii. The Sarrabaites order.

TO this secte surely belonge suche of ye spiritualty that by mouth professe wylfull pouerte & not wt harte. For these Sarrabaites be sayd not only to come of Ananias & Saphira by vntrue dissimulacyon of retaynyng theyr goodes Actu. v. but also by lynage & kynred. These vnder ye co­lour of wylful pouerte, wolde seme to haue forsaken & byddē al tēporal goodes farewel, [Page 8] after ye instituciō of ye apostles: vnder ye which colour ye couetous wretches busyed to gather great goodes & possessiōs, which they optayned. Of these doth S. Hierome wryte thryse to S. Austine. They dwelt fyrst in Egipt ī holes & caues, clothed wt oxē & suynes hedes, gyrded about wt halters vnshod & bloudy went they oft to Ierusalē at ye feast cōfessyng theyr wylful pouerte & despysyng of al thynge, so lōge, tyl they were enryched ther­by. They pulled thēselues by ye beerd ī sight of al ye people, wherby they gat thēselues a name of great holynesse, afterward retur­ned home agayn ladē wt goodes, where they lyued at theyr ease S. Austine cōmaūded to flye these. They plated thornes in ye hēmes of theyr vesturs, wher wt they be blouded thē selues. Finally they began many straūge deuyces tyl they waxed rych & lyued ī ydelnes Read Bede & Aug. the. xxi. sermō ad fres in Eremo.

xiiii. Charterhouse order.

ANno. M. lxxxvi. dyd this order begyn in Gallia or Fraunce by Bruno the Philosopher & diuine, whō Bernard calleth a fayre pyler of the church. This or­der is confirmed by Alexander the. iii. and the. iiii. Bishops of Rome with many other This order ꝓspered greatly not by reasō of [Page] tyme (as euery man knoweth) but because of the strayghtnesse of lyuynge. On this fearful wyse dyd the order begynne: Whyle the vniuersite of Paris floryshed, ther dyed one of it that was of great renowne both of learnynge and honesty. Now whyle the Dirige was songe for hym, in the presence of many doctours, masters, & learned men, at these wordes: Quātas habeo īiquitates &c. as ye body rose in the coffin, a voyce was herde sayenge: By the ryghteous iudgemēt of God am I accused. At this voyce were they all abashed and concluded not to burye the coarse. The secōde daye, was lyke voyce herde. On the thyrde daye was neare hande the whole cytie gathered to heare the voice and then dyd the coarse ryse agayne as be­fore, with this voyce: By the ryghteous iudgement of God am I condēned. This pearsed thorow many hartes, but specyally Brunos, borne at Colen, which then was deane and ruler of the vniuersite, so that he sayde to his disciples: Lo how peteously and pyte fully peryshed he, which notwithstandynge was rekened of euery man a saynt for hys lyuynge. Here vpon wente he in a wylder­nesse with seuen men, and buylded there an [Page 9] house purposynge in his mynde to leade a strayght lyfe, euery frydaye to fast breade & water: and neuer to eate fleshe, were he ne­uer so sycke, to weare heery clothes nexte his body, neuer to come in to the worlde, to kepe pertuall sylence, and to speake only wt God, to syt alone in a cell, & so wyth greate chastenyng to do penaunce for his synnes. Urbanus the. ii. B. of Rome is reported to haue ben this Brunos disciple. Hugo also yt was as who saye an heremyte and charter house monke in this world, a very myrrour and example of all vertue, wolde haue takē vpon hym this order, but he could get no lycence of the B. of Rome. I passe ouer yt fable that is wrytten of hym. Lo good reader these deuelysh practyses vpon what funda­ment they are groūded. The deuell thought this shalbe my deuyse: For the worlde can not iudge or discerne this lyuyng, they shall estyme it an holy lyuynge, all is golde wyth them yt shyneth, chefly in spiritual matters. Yf this lyuynge be of value, then are the Heithen, Turkes, & Calicutes vertues mē: for they haue mōkes of strayghter lyuynge. But whosoeuer the matter be, the worlde wyll haue monkes and freres.

xv. Anthonyes order.

ANno. ccc. xxiiii. began Antony in E­gipt a strayght & solitary lyfe. He was the fyrst hermite. His meat was only breade & water, & fasted vntyl Sōne set. He went wyllyngly in the wyldernesse, where many resorted vnto hym, ye which made him theyr Abbot. S. Ierome sayth that he wrote vii. epistles or letters in ye Egiptian speche, full of sprete & mysteryes, which afterward were trāslated into Greke. Athanasius B. of Alexandria wryteth his lyfe in a cōplete boke. He dyed at Thebaida. ye. ccc. lvii. yeare after Christes byrth, the. c. v. yeare of his a­ge, whō nother I cā, nor wyll iudge, he hath one to iudge hym: but ye sorte of apes yt endeuoure to folowe hym in clothynge, & not in fayth, makynge of his lyuyng a rule, so lyke to his lyfe, as ye deuell is lyke God, those I say I coūte as heretykes & dissardes. This coūterfaited order weareth only a black garment wt a blewe crosse theron, they vse beg­gynge, they haue a fraternite, wherein they threatē folke wt S. Antonis fyre, yee they haue brought ye matter so farre, yt in some par­ties they haue pygges fatted to thē, wher wt they fat theyr bellyes, & mock & maw at vs.

xvi. Paulus or Paulins order.

THe yeare. ccc. xlv. was one Paulus an heremiticall monke or heremite in Egipte, a cōpanion to ye foresayd Antony, which spent his lyfe in wildernesse Whan he was. xv. yeare of age, fleynge the promotynge of Ualerianus & Decius Emperours of Rome, though he was of noble progeny, yet left he all, & went in to wyldernesse, where he dwelt in a lytel caue. xcviii. yeares vnknowen, to ony man, lyuynge in fastynge & prayer wt water & breade, herbes & rootes such as ye wildernesse dyd mynister thus lyued Paule. But marke yt apes that haue yt name & order after hym, & yet haue nomore of hym, then some Christen men haue of Christ, that is, ye surname: For all his goostlynesse, lyfe, fayth, consysteth wyth them in theyr whyte garmētes or coules & kappes: The coloure of whose clothes we reade no where yt Paul dyd we are lyke, so yt I can not tell frō whēce they haue yt name. For Paul fasted, but they are fulbelyes: he was poore, but they are rych: he was solytary, but they rūne about: he had sīple clothing & a clene hart, but these haue a whit garmēt & black hartes: so yt of Paule they haue no [Page] black scapulary and a blacke kappe but they haue chaūged ye scapulary in to a whyt lynē rochet. This order is sayde to haue many learned men.

xix. Of S. Iustines order.

THe year. M. cccc. xxxii. some say. M. cccc. xii. dyd one Lodwyck or Lewis Barbus a coūseler of Uenice, rayse vp a new order of S. Iustine, vnder S. Be­nets rule, in ye parties of Treuisa, in ye cloister of S. Iustin by ye cytie Badua. This order hath Eugenius the. iiii. confirmed with many & great priueleges. Theyr clothynge can I not describe.

xx. The heremites, of S. Austins. or Guishelmians order.

THe year. cccc. xviii. (as is said before) began this order in a wood aboute ye citie Hippo by Cartago. Whā he had dwelte there. iii. yeare, he began to make a rule for thē after ye Apostles rule. Upō thys came ther so many to yt place, yt one wolde haue thought it had snowed mōkes, so yt many cloysters were buylt of thē. Now whā ye Uādalies came in Aphrica, they ouercame neare hād ye. iii. part of ye world, so yt they quē ched almoost al ye Christē name. Wherfore [Page 12] certayn brethrē came in to Hetruria, ende­uouryng there yt ye holy order shulde not be rooted out. But because of ye persecucyon yt ye Gothies & Lōbardes vsed, this hermetical order was clene destroied, & monkry neare­hande clene rooted out. Thus is this order oft decayed & oft raysed agayne, refourmed, & gotten many names, as now a dayes the Benedictines & Grayfreres, wherof some be called barefooted, some obseruaūtes, som Franciscanes, some Bernardines, some minores, some Amedei. As this order now had bē decayed a great whyl, ther rose one Guyliame a duke of Aquitania & coūty of Licta­nia, which this youth was taught of s. Bernarde. This mā restored agayn S. Austins order both in wordes & dedes. For ye greater he was afore in ye worlde, ye lowlyer he was become ī ye wyldernesse, whether he wēt of fre wyl to chastise his flesh & subdue it, wt a cote of males on his bare body, alway wat­chyng, prayeng, & fastyng: wherfore he was called a father & restorer of ye order. Whan Guyliam now saw ye decay of his order, but ye increace of ye cisterciēses order, he gat a gelousy to this order, & busyed hī to enlarge it, insomuch yt he gathered a great nōbre of persōs, which were called Guylelmites vntyl ye tyme of Innocētius ye. iiii. B. of Ro: For thē [Page] were they called to the cytie out of the wyldernesse, and theyr name chaūged in to He­remites of S. Austine. This Guileame af­ter the heremitish lyuynge by the consente of Anastasius & Adrian byshops of Ro. dyd buylde aboute (or as some say wtin) Paris ye fyrst beggynge order, the whiche was con­firmed by Anastasius the. iiii. So that thys is the fyrst beggynge order that is brooded, chaūged from pouerte in to ryches, goynge so lōge about tyl they were nothyng worth. After yt buylded they with beggynge many other cloysters, vntyll they haue fylled the worlde: & so is beggynge that once was for­byddē, become a gods seruice. This chaūge lasted from. M. c. l. tyll. M. c. lx. yeare.

xxi. The regular order of the ob­seruaunces of S. Austine.

ANno. cccc. Whan S. Austine was cho­sen byshoppe in Aphrica he was com­pelled to leaue the wyldernesse and to wayte vpon his office: wherfore he busyed to buyld also a cloyster in his house, wherin he wyth his chyldren and housholde myghte lyue after the Apostles rule, whiche were of one mynde to Godwarde, and to possesse all thynges in cōmune. But what maner of [Page 13] clothynge they dyd weare, fynde I expressed by no credible storywrytter. wherfor it is to be thought yt they haue vsed honest raymēt, accordyng to the fashiō of the contrye, and not to haue knowen of ony cole, as the apes do imagyne. And yf it were so that he had vsed a cole, yet counterfayte his sonnes and folowers hym in nothynge els saue that pagen, the whiche euery vyle and noughty fellow can do. As for hys holynesse of lyfe and fayth, that bequeeth they hym, as not pertaynynge to them. The clothyng of the Austins apes is not now a dayes a­lyke in all places, but oft chaunged after the vse of the contryes, so that. x. sortes of Au­stinians are in one cote. I wyll not speake here of theyr fayth, seynge that euery one hath a sundery fayth, and yet wolde be cal­sed an Austinian: they make, breake, make agayne, and mende, and that such thynges as Austine wolde not once haue dreamed, yee whan he ryseth, wyll not knowe. Some weare all white, some black cotes, some white rochets and a scapulary wyth a black cole, some otherwyse. Ther be rekened to be xxiiii. kyndes of orders only vnder sente Austins rule, wherof euery one hath his patrō, [Page] in folowyng whose lyfe they thynk to please God: yet is ther none that wyl folow Christ

xxii. Cisterciensis order.

THe yeare. M. xcviii. after Christes byrth begā in ye wyldernesse of But gony thys order by Roberte the spirituall abbot and father of the same, whyche was afterwarde confirmed by Urbane the ii. B. of Rome, & brought vnder S. Benets rule. By reason of many fraūchises and priueleges vnder the shadowe of holynesse it is come so farre, that theyr abbots somtyme and heremites and dwellers in wyldernesse are now Lordes and peres of realmes, yee drowned in the worlde and hys pompt, ry­dynge with so many horses, that one wolde thynke ther came a worlde. Thys is a straunge flyenge and despysynge of ye world Some wolde thynke it were a mockage of heremiticall lyuynge. Whan I wryte of theyr order and begynnynge, and beholde them now, yf in my mynde I conpare them together that were than and be now, my thynke I wryte of Christe and take the de­uell for an ensample, and make hym a bro­ther of Christes couente. For as the deuell [Page 14] is Christes ape and counterfayter, whyche foloweth hym euen vpon the heles, and wyl do all thynges after hym, euen so do the a­pes lykewyse. The fyrst founders though I ame not perfecte of theyr sprete, with what intent they beganne, and seynge one maye well suppose that they were not dryuē ther­to by a good sprete: (for theyr intent is to much geuen to sectes, theyr owne ease and profite, yee and to heresy also) yet haue they a better appearaunce and shyne of holynes. To go to farre in Gods iudgmentes is not permytted vnto man, yet maye euery tre be iudged by hys frutes. He that wyl not be reproued of hys wycked lyuynge, let hym endeuoure to redresse it. Whan thys. or­der of saynt Benet decreased, and decayed in vertue, than went Robert wyth. xxi. monkes as despysers of earthly & louers of hea­uēly thynges into a wyldernesse called Cis­tercium, and there iustitute them a newe order called Cisterciensish order. After warde by counsell and procuracion of some dukes, byshops and legates, beganne they to chaunge the Heremytage into an ab­baye, whych in shorte space came to greate lorde shyppes. Steuen the whych was abbot [Page] after Robert, was sory that so few came to hys religion, forcause of the straytnesse of ye order. In the meane season came Bernarde with hys bethren and made ye religion more easyer. They weare reed shues and whyte rochets on a black cote, all shoren, saue a lytell cirkle.

xxiii. Bernardes order.

ANno. M. c. xx. dyd Bernarde shyne, a Burgonion, the sonne of a knyght of great lynage, the abot of Clareuall or Clereuale, wherof he was abbot. xxxvi. year In hys tyme he buylded. c. lx. Cloysters.

Some saye that he hath chaūged somthynge in the Cisterciensysh order, chefely in the garment, for they weare now black clokes vpon whyte cotes. Neuerthelesse to declare theyr foundacion and originall they weare the Cisterciēsish rochets vpō hygh and principall feaste dayes. Theyr rule accordeth very well wt S. Benets. S. Bernard wrote many bokes which testifye of hys learnyng and holynesse. Thys order hath many cloy­sters & swalowed vp innumerable goodes of the worlde, whose abbottes many one are Lordes, rydynge wyth many horses, and say [Page 15] masse wyth myter, croyser and cope lyke a byshop. They serue God many wayes, only they preach not lyke contemplatife fathers, orels very lytle, perchaunce it becommeth them not, or els theyr order wyll not suffre them to vse so sleght an office, or (yt I myght soonest be persuaded) they can it not & ther­fore commit it vnto vplandysh prestes, so yt I thynke one coulde not furnysh one Ber­narde out of so many cloysters, though he bet them euen to a plate.

xxiiii. Templer order, theyr be­gynnynge and decaye.

AFter Christes byrth the yeare. M. c. x. in the tyme of Gelasius the. ii. begāne thys order at Ierusalem and cōtinued nearehāde. cc. yeare, whose begynnyng was thus: After that Gotfraye duke of Lorayne conquered Ierusalem, certayne knyghtes perceauyng that such pylgroms as came to them of theyr denociō and were robbed and murthered by the waye, they made a bonde amonge them to serue God in chyualry. At the begynnynge they were but few & gaue themselues to wylfull pouerte, and theyr chefe-mayster was a keper of the tempell [Page] bore, wherof they were called Templar lor­des. They dwelte together, not farre frome the sepulchre, lodgynge the pylgroms, ke­pynge them from myschefe, and shewynge them much kyndnesse, bryngynge thē from one holy cytie vnto an other. Theyr orders badge was a whyte cloke with are ede crosse S. Barnarde made them a rule. They be­came very rych in few dayes by gyftes of greate men and pylgroms, wherfore plea­sure toke roote also amonge them, so that they came to decaye of vertue into al vyce, & were all destroyed vpōone daye in yt tyme of Clemēt the. v. B. of Rome, āno. M. ccc. x. because that (as some saye) they were fallen to the Saracens, scornynge Christ with the infideles, for whose cause (notwithstādyng) they were heyred to warre. Wherfore they were in one daye destroyed in fraūce (where they had theyr beynge) of Philip kynge of Fraunce and other lordes, by the consent of the B. of Rome, wyth theyr graundmayster both twnes, castels, treasures, possessions & other goods all burnt & murthered, as was done also before in Asia and Syrya. These foresayde Lordes and the kynge by the B. of Romes permission dyd make an apoynt­ment [Page 16] and bonde by a bull (and no man shuld disclose thys priuite vnder damnaciō of hys soule) how that on one daye they shulde fall vpon them, and depryue them all of theyr lyues, and to wende the goods to other spi­tuall vses, hyrynge wyth them other defen­ders of the fayth. Thus peryshed thys order all in one daye, and theyr goodes were partly turned to the knyghtes of Rhodis, which than beganne there, hauynge there theyr graundmayster, partly was it bestowed to the spiritualty in Englande. Some saye that thys rootynge out of them was more because of enuy of theyr prosperite and royalte, than of gyltynesse. For as theyr graūd­mayster Iames Burgonion was burnte at Paris wyth many of hys brethren, he toke hys death theron that he was neuer gylty of the accusacions layde to hym. But yf religions now shulde be destroyed for theyr ryches, or els because they are gone from the fayth: I feare me ther shulde fewe cloysters remayne standynge for theyr ly­uynge and hypocrisyes sake.

xxv. The order of Tem­ple knyghtes.

[Page] AFter the byrth of Christ. M. xx. began the order of temple knyghtes at Ieru­salem, called S. Ihons. These lyue vnder S. Austines rule, and haue black lay clothynge, yet very lyke the rule, and there vpon a whyte crosse on theyr brest, they are institute to fyght bodely agaynst the infide­les. Theyr chefe beynge is in the Ile Rho­dis, where they be vnder a graundmayster with all theyr houses and churches. And though they be for the moost parte seculare, yet enioye they the fredomes of the church, fulfyllynge dayly theyr taxe of Pater no­sters.

xxvi. Premonstratensis order.

AFter Christes byrth. M. c. xix. be­ganne thys order in the byshopryke of Laudunēsis. vnder S. Benets rule by one borne at Colē called Notohobertus or as some saye Norbertus. Of thys order can I fynde nothynge perticularly, but that they be clothed in whyte from toppe to toe to declare theyr vnstayned virginite.

xxvii. Humiliatorum or the submitted order.

[Page 17] AFter Christes byrth the yeare. M. c. lxvi dyd thys order begynne, (Yet do some saye that it was vnder Henry the vi. anno. M. c. lxxxix) in the tyme of Alexan­der the. iii. The fyrst saye that what tyme the Emperoure Frederike Barbarossa had troubled Italy, and specially Gallia Cisal­pina, and had bannyshed many, both men & women and chylderen into Dutchland: as they now cōtinued there a season and were fylled wyth mysery, they clothed themselues all in whyte, came to the emperoure, pray­enge hym forgeuenesse, and to let them go home agayne, the which was graunted and permitted vnto them. Now whan they were come home, they kepte thēselues together, and promysed to go in lowly clothynge, the men and wemen to be separated ech from other, & to laboure euery one what he was skylde in, and had a commune purse (Theyr heade called they a Prouest, they kepte the rule of S. Benet. Thys order increased so both in goods and persons, that it was con­firmed and endued with many priuileges of the B. of Rome.

xxviii. The Sambonites or good brethren order.

[Page] THe yeare. M. c. xcix. dyd Ihon surna­med the goode a restorer of S. Au­stins order florysh, which had such a pryck of the flesh, that he feared he sholde haue ben fayne to forsake religion, and to haue turned agayne to the world: wherfore he toke sharpe thornes, which he put vnder the nayles of hys handes, and put hys han­des oft vnder a stone to preasse them, and chastysed hym selfe so harde that he was of­tymes besyde hys wyt. He laye. iii. dayes spechlesse, so that he knew nothyng of hym­selfe. At the which tyme a woyce shuld haue sayde to hym: Ihon, thou hast conquered, thou shalt nomore be assaulted of thy flesh. Thus was he at the fyrst a good mōke. Af­ter thys he raysed vp the decayed order of saynte Austine, chaungynge lytell in gar­ment, but makynge the order strayghter. Upon thys came many to se hys holynesse, which were steared to forsake the world, to renounce all, and to accōpany themselues to hym, yeldynge themselues to the lyfe of S. Austine. They buylded many cloysters, and surnamed themselues Sambonites or the good brethren: for he was called ye good Ihon or Iohannes bonus. Such is the be­gynnynge [Page 18] (good reader) of the orders that swalow vp landes and people, and deuoure wedowes houses. It is a commune prouer­be: A yonge angell, and olde deuell.

xxix. The crossebearers or Crossed freres order.

IN the yeare of oure Lorde. M. cc. xv beganne thys order in the. lxviii. councell of Rome, it was begonne longe to fore, but sometyme lefte agayne: at the laste it was raysed agayne and cōfirmed by Innocentius the. iii. in the. xviii. year of hys byshopryke of Rome. The begynnyng was of thys maner: Amonge thē of Albania rose a pestilent heresy, which caused a great dis­sension amonge them of Rome. Wherfor ye B. of Rome sente many agaynst them marked wyth the crosse, whiche were all slayne. These laudable & prayse worthy souldyers dyd he halow therfore, and raysed the order agayne wyth geuynge of many fredoms & preuileges. Unto thys order dyd Innocētius ye. iiii. B. of Ro. geue a rule, cōmaundynge yt ye spirituall of thys order shuld alway weare a crosse in theyr hondes. Quiriacus a B. & martyr in yt tyme of Helena the mother of [Page] Constātine ye greate Emperoure is sayd to be the founder of it: but it was come to such decaye, that it was almoost gone to nought. The yeare of oure Lorde. M. cc. xxii. shulde it haue ben refourmed: theyr clothynge is a black cope with a crosse theron, the byg­nesse of an hande.

xxx. Carmelites or whyte freres order.

ANno. M. cc. xviii. dyd Alberte a patri­arke of Ierusalem rayse agayne thys order in Syria by mount Carmelus geuynge of hys owne power therto many fraunchises and priuileges, and ordened a rule for it. Now whan thys order encreased and multiplyed thorowout the worlde it suffered much trouble. Wherfore Honorius ye iii. B. of Rome thought that thys order suf­fered vnworthely so much, by reason of hys holynesse (which yet was not greate) for the which cause he translated thys order vnder yt tytle of oure lady of mount Carmelus, chaū gynge somwhat theyr rayment. Some saye that thys holy order in hys fyrst clothynge (that they sayde was of Helias or Heliseus) was greatly accepte to the Soldane, and [Page 19] endued with many almesses of hym: but af­ter they thaunged theyr rayment, he droue them out of hys kyngdome, so that of neces­site they came in Europa. There haue they fallen to beggynge, so that in short space they grue greatly. They boast Cirill, An­gelus, and Albertus to be theyr sayntes. Lo good reader thys is the reasonable grounde of theyr order, which was so good, that it pleased also the Heythen, whiche shame and rebule Math. x. Ioh. xv. xvi. they wyll in a maner boast where as the true Christen be alwaye persued of the euell Christen: yee the properte, nature, and chaunce of the gospell is, that it bryngeth hatred of the worlde wt it. Marke farther: thys holy cole brought them a crosse and trouble, who euer herde such lyke? Thys order is to begge, to take of euery man, and to do nothynge agayne for it. Theyr clothynge was wonte to be a whyte and blacke checkered cope, but now a black cote gyrded about thē, & a whyte cloke vpon yt. Theyr order is to drynke wyne and to begyle the people wyth much bablynge Math. xxiii.

xxxi. Preacher order or black freres of S. Dominike.

[Page] ANno. M. cc. xx. was Dominike Cala­guritane a Spayniarde the begynner, leader and father of thys order: which yet beynge in hys mothers wombe was de­clared vnto her what he shulde be, on thys maner: She dreamed, that she had a wolf in hyr wombe, which had a burnynge torch in hys mouth, the which the preachers do greatly auaunce and expoūde it to theyr orders glory, as they well can. Neuerthelesse it is well knowen what beast a wolfe is, he is no shepe which signifyeth Christ and hys Ioh. x As for the torche, I take it for hys wolfysh learnynge, wherewyth he hath set all the worlde on fyre and begyled, or els made thē shepe, that he myght deuoure them: for fyre and a torche do not alwaye sygnifye ye holy goost. Now lytell doth it agre than with ho­lynesse & the gospell that theyr dreame doth sygnifye, that she bare a wolfe, where as Christen men are shepe, & in no place called wolues, nor yet is the wolfe ony where ta­kē for goodnes? Thys Dominike was fyrst a chanon regular, but wt great feruētnesse of sprete (as is well to be thought) foūded he thys order, & toke the cole, ye clothyng of hys order vpō hym, for he douted how to be haue [Page 20] hymselfe in the heresy yt was spronge vp of the virgine Mary, yt he myght roote it out. As he now vanquissed & ouercame yt gayu­sayers of the B. of Rome at Tolossa, he op­tayned the cōfirmacion of hys order of Ho­norius the. iii. B. of Rome, the which after­warde ouerwhelmed al contryes. Thys shynynge man dyed at Bononia, & was cano­nisate of Gregory the. ix. Theyr order is to begge as the Carmelytes, and to forsake ly­tle by wylfull pouerte, wherby they take much and waxe rych. Theyr cote is whyte, theyr cope black. Theyr rule is S. Dominks and not Christes, accordynge to the name. Marke good reader what strawy & papiry foundaciō the orders haue, yee founded vpō a frosen yse, so that whan the Sōne of truth doth shyne, than melteth theyr foundacion, & theyr buyldynge decayeth. What a lyke tale is thys yt an author of sectes shal destroye sectes and heresyes? Yf one heretike maye driue out an other, thā were these hereticall dyuels alwayes the fearcest. But Christ sayeth. mat. xii. yt one deuel can not dryue out another, yet are they cōfirmed to roote out all heresy, namely that is agaynst the Po­pishnesse. Afterwarde in a generall chap- [...] Bononia it was concluded to geue [Page] ouer all vnmoueable goodes and rētes that they myght so themore frelyer wayte vpon ye office of preachynge, but now they coulde be content to haue more than they haue in possession. Innocentius B. of Rome saw in a dreame the church loused and discharged vpon Dominikes shulder, wherfore he dyd confirme the order.

xxxii. The barefooted order.

ANno. M. cc. xxii. approbated Honorius the. iii. B. of Rome a good frerely fa­ther thys order also. The whiche was founded of one Frauncis an Italian which was a marchaunte and a worldly man vn­tyl he was. xxv. yeares of age. After that cast he in his mynde to folow Christ, despysyng all worldly thynges. And whan he was shod & gyrded wyth a duble gyrdell, he remēbred the wordes Christ: (Possesse nother two cotes, nor shues, nor yet a staffe. &c. and: whoso forsaketh not all thynges can not be my disciple,) he caste all thynges from hym euen also the gyrdell, and gyrded a coard aboute hym, and beganne contynently thys order. In the whyche he was so strayght to hymselfe, that to chastise hys [Page 21] fleshe in wynter season he wolde couer his body with yse and snowe. He called pouerte alwaye his lady, and loued rather to heare hymselfe reuyled then praysed, he kepte no­thynge ouer nyght. His harte desyred mar­tyrdome, where vpon he wente in to Siria to the Soldane, which receaued hym honourably: wherby it is to be thought that surely he tolde hym not the trueth. For trueth is seldom welcome in courtes, and in ye world. I wyll here passe ouer the fable how Christ and his sayntes dyd marke hym with the. v. woundes. As he had now thus chastised his flesh. xviii. yeare, he dyed at Assis, and was canonised of Gregory the. ix. Thus hast thou (good reader) described vnto the the gospellysh ape, the pyler, staye and foundacyon of the barefooted order. Let it be so that he had a good meanynge, where be then his folowers? I maye se perchaūce his cole or garment, but his lyfe I se nowhere. I reade not that he nor his wente aboute wyth a boxe, sayenge gospell from house to house, and in euery gam were one played, nor yet that he ware cutte shues or patius.

xxxiii. The minorites of s. Fraūces.

[...]

fyre and swearde.

xxxvi. The Celestines order.

THe yeare of our Lorde. M. cc. xcvli. was there a good B. of Rome, Cele­stine by name, which wyllyngly ga­ue ouer the byshopryke, and wolde haue re­turned agayne to his hermitage (wherin he dwelty quyetly before his popyshnesse) had he not ben letted by Boniface the. viii. B. of Rome. Some apes counterfayted this holy B. takynge vpon thē an order vnder ye rule of S. Benet in a wyldernesse, and called thē selues Celestines after Celestine. Theyr orders garment, cloke, cole, and kappe shuld haue ben blew, and Celestine shulde haue begōne it, but his storye denyenge it accordeth not here with.

xxxvii. The Dutch order, or order of the lordes of Prusse.

ANno. M. cc. xvi. or as theyr rule specy­fyeth. M. c. xc. whan the Emperoure Frederike the. ii. hooste laye in Pruse to resyste the assaultes of the infideles, and that ther rose a great disease amonge ye soul dyers, some of ye goodharted souldyers made [Page 2] a cotage or tente of a shippe, wherin they caryed the diseased, and with great tēdaūce serued them there, gatherynge an almesse amonge the hooste, and whan they wente to felde, they were alwaye the fyrst lyke feruēt souldyers: so that prynces and great mē had a great mynde to them. Amonge these were some rych and honest cytesens of Lubeke & Breme which vndertoke by the Emperour to make a brotherheade amonge them, by ye which dede they dyd alure many to them.

They promysed also yf the lande of Pruse shulde be geuen them, they wolde lyke bre­thren and men of chyualrye, conquere it a­gayne. This was graunted them, geuē and registred. Duke Conrade also of Mosauia that wrote hymselfe lorde of it, gaue them ouer his tytle vnder a golden bull. Thus raysed they a brotherhead amonge them to warre vpon lyke aduenture, ether to lyse or to wynne, come who wolde, & procured in ye meane tyme a confirmacyon of this theyr brotherheade of the B. of Rome, which they gat and obtayned. Than proclamed they theyr order, and all such as were wrytten in to it had a pece of ye sayle of yt shippe where vnder they tended the sycke and diseased. [Page] And vnderone they made a statute, ye whoso wolde ioyne hymselfe to them, shulde weare a whyte lynnen cloth, cast aboute hym, lyke the Egipcyans do, closed aboute the necke, lest it fell from them, & a blacke crosse ther­on. This brotherheade was called, ye Dutch order of ye hospitall of S. Mary at Ierusalē: for they toke none therin, but Dutchmem. As for yt tytle knyghtes or lordes, yt they gat longe after. Now as they had cōquered & ta­ken in Pruse it was graūted them to go further, & what lande they toke in, yt to be theyr possessiō & heretage. Upon this they toke in euery one yt came to thē, saue those maryed men yt had chyldren, yf he were maryed, and had no chyldrē, he myght be receaued wely­nough: For it was ordyned yt after his death al yt he had, shuld come to the orders be hofe Maryed men were marked wyth an halfe crosse only, but ye other with a whole crosse. They refused no kynd, for they toke also we men in to theyr order, yee & prestes. This chyualry & knyghthode agaynst ye Heythen, & theyr busy cure to ye diseased was a great shyne of goodnesse: but whā they gat a lytel reste, they made out a procture, wt a sleght copper crosse, & vnknowē relikes, to gather [Page 24] in dyuerse places, to the mayntenaunce of theyr order & hospitall. They obtayned also great pardon for them yt relyued thē wt theyr goodes, bodyes, ayde & counsell: so that they encreased greatly, foūded euery where hos­pitals, wherfore euery mā was redy to geue & to mantayne thē. Such also as were slayn in ye aforesayd battayls, were holdē for mar­tyrs, whervpō they caused many gētlemen, & souldyours to warre for thē at theyr owne costes, & to conquere landes & people. But what they gat wt conqueryng & lymytynge, yt drue they all to theyr owne, payeng theyr ayders wt thankes, & bought wt the goodes yt they gathered both those waies, tributes tolles and one pece of lande after another: & as they increased in goodes and possessiōs, so decreassed theyr cure to the poore. At the fyrst they led a strayght lyfe with the chastifynge of theyr bodyes, but specyally wt ten­dynge of the sycke. Whan Dutch gentlemē came to vysite them, they coulde scant finde an empty corner to put of theyr harnesse, it was so full of sycke folke, and of the bre­thren that prayed, whereof some scour­ged them selues naked wyth roddes, which foolyshnesse at that tyme had a great [Page] shyne of holynesse. With this conuersacyō and shyne of holynesse, as warrynge & beg­gynge obtayned they in short space. iii. lord­shippes, namely one in Dutchlande, (that they gat with beggynge) Prusse, and Eyf­lande or Lyfelande. Marke now the chaun­gynge and alteracyon: At the begynnynge was the order fre for euery man, and an hospitall of the poore, but now hath the gent­lery bytten out the poore: the whole & soūde them that were sycke and diseased: the rych the poore, so that it is nomore called the hospitall of the poore, but of the gentlemen, & are called nomore brethren, but lordes and knyghtes of the Dutch order. Moreouer, it is not now fre for euery mā, for euē gent­lemen themselues must make labour & frendes to obtayne it. Thus well remayneth e­uery foundacyon in this wycked worlde, so that I counsell hym that wyl do good to his neghboure, to do it by his lyfe dayes, and let foundacyon be foundacion. Theyr heade now is called Comither.

The order of S. Ihōs or knyghtes of Rhodis hath lyke begynnynge, myddell and ende, wherin also are now only lordes, coū ­ties, & other gentlemē: Unto whō the order [Page 25] is not shewed before they be entred therin.

xxxviii. The order of Maryes. seruauntes.

ANno. M. ccc. iiii. was one Philippe a very spirituall and deuoute man the founder of the order of the seruaūtes of oure lady. He raysed thys order vnder the rule of S. Austine, wyth euen lyke wordes and fashion, makynge difference of it wyth certayne ordinaunces of the freres of oure lady: whiche order afterwarde was confir­med by thre B. of Rome, namely: Bene: ye xi. Boniface the. viii. and Urbane the. vi. & is rekened amonge the beggynge orders. At the last it was wholy sanctifyed and ha­lowed of Innocencius the. viii. and delyue­red of the euell wyl that some cloysters dyd owe them. Theyr garmentes are lyke oure ladyes brethren. Thys order begāne vnder Benet the. xi. B. of Rome, & shortly increa­sed greatly in goodes, persones & cloysters, decreased only in sprete.

xxxix. The order of saynt Ihons, or the Lordes of Rhodis.

[Page] ANno. M. ccc. viii. what tyme Ierusalē the cytie was lost, and ye Templars were destroyed, by reason they were fallen to a great Idolatry, certayne knygh­tes with a great company of gentlemē and other vale aūt men made a compacte in the name and honoure of S. Ihō Baptist (wherfore they were called Iohannites.) These toke vpon them to recouer agayne the loste Ile of Rhodis yf it were geuē them to pos­sesse it frely, orels wolde lese theyr lyues. This beynge graunted to them they toke theyr iourney the therward, which was prosperous vnto thē, so that they recouered it, & droue out the Turkes of it, repayred again the destroyed cytie of Rhodis, and mended theyr nauye: so that not only they kepte the Ile for farther assaultes of the Heythen, but also ayded greatly the Christē that were in Cipres & other Iles aboute them. For the which ayde and succurre, the goodes of the Templars in the east were geuen them by the B. of Rome and other Christē princes. And euen so was the Ile Rhodis with all ye lorshippe therof geuen vnto this order of S. Ihons. Afterward of theyr owne deuocyon & good mynde desyred they ye rule of S. Au­styne, [Page 26] wherby they beynge endued of the B. of Rome wyth many priuileges & fraunchi­ses, optayned many good dedes. The Sol­dane or Turkysh Emperoure hath so longe warred vpon this Ile, tyll at the last Anno M. ccccc. xxii. he hath taken it in Neuerthe­lesse he hath ofter had euel fortune before it then good. It is sayd that ther was a castell in this Ile, called S. Peter, wherin ye Chri­sten dyd oft flye the power of the Turkes, wherin are exceadynge curste dogges that knewe Christen men by smellyng and were louynge to thē: but agaynst ye turkes wolde they fal fearsly, bytyng & tearyng thē, so that they haue ben oft hurte of thē. Theyr head is called ye Graūdmayster. Theyr clothyng is black, & a whyt crosse theron. They wear also a swearde, in tokē of theyr knyghthode.

xl. The order of the souldyers of Iesus Christ.

ANno. M. ccc. xxiii. dyd Ihō ye. xxii. rayse this new order of Iesus Christ, so that the brethren of this order shulde vse chyualrye agaynste the Saracens in Por­tingale. The chefe heade of the order is in the cytie Mirinū in the Syluēsish byshopryke, [Page] where theyr principall housynge and castell is. Unto these souldyers by the con­sent of ye kynge of Portyngale, be ye goodes geuē whych ye Tēplars had in Portingale, where wyth they shulde be sustayned. The heade of the order is the abbot of the by­shoprycke Alchasia, whiche hath power to admitte and depose such souldyers. Of theyr clothyng haue I no where red. Theyr rule is to warre and to be wylde.

xli. The order of Iniesuates.

THe yeare after Christes byrth. M. ccc lxv. dyd thys order begynne vnder Urbane the. v. B. of Rome, in the cytie of Hetruria called Sena. The founders of it beganne in houses, in worldly rayment after the maner of spirituall men, seruynge God in the sweate of theyr browes & theyr handycrafte, in greate loue & charite one wt an other. As now the foresayd B. of Rome called thē to hym, he had a great pleasure in theyr lyuynge, & gaue them a whyte cote to theyr orders habite, & a scornful cole to wear thervpō, & ordyned thē to a patrō or defēder a v (er)tuous & holy mā (but ye B. of Ro. frende) i steade of a prouest or abbot. The same (ac­cordynge [Page 27] as he was cōmaunded) gaue thē a graye garmēt to weare vpon ye whyte cote, & to go vnshod. They were endued wt many pardons and priueleges, so that they greatly increased in few dayes in many cyties of Italy, beynge well accepted and counted for true ensamples & folowers of the Apostles. Theyr dayly seruice is a certayne taxe of Pai nosters. They haue no orders, yet are ther many learned men amonge them in I­taly now a dayes. The begynnynge of the order was good, seyng that they serued god wyllyngly and frely wythout ony rule: but after that the Antichrist of Rome had made an order for them also, than was the fredom of theyr sprete bounde to a rule & clothynge & than had thys order also done before God. For Christ wyll be alone, he wyll nother be bounde hymselfe, nor hys true disciples no­ther, yee where he is truely receaued, there maketh he all fre: but ye Antichrist of Rome wyll set hys seate also in mens consciences, wherfore Christe and hys worde be fayne to geue place to hys wycked tyranny.

xlii. The Scopetines or S. Saluators order.

[Page] THe yeare after Christes byrth. M. ccc. lxvii. dyd thys order be gynne by certayne spirituall fathers of saynt Austins order in the partyes of Sene in I­taly: The which Gregory ye xi. B. of Rome dyd approbate, endue with priueleges, and asscribed them amonge the chanōs regular or quere prestes. And for a memoriall of theyr fyrst foundacion and spirituall estate, they weare a white garment wyth a whyte scapulary vpon a whyte rochet. They lyue of theyr rentes, and reuenues. They preach not, yet heare they confessions. He­therto haue they ben in estimacion & great­ly set by.

xliii. The order of S. Brigitte or Bryde.

ANno. M. ccc. lxx. shuld Basilius haue ben founder and instituter of thys order in Grekelande, so that both men and wemen shulde lyue together spiritually vnder one rule. But because some ouerth­warte men laughed thys spiritually to skorn the order was discharged, & afterwarde ray­sed agayne be Brigitte, & institute that they myght well haue theyr habitacion both [Page 28] vnder one roofe, but mē & wemen separated ech frō other, so yt the one myght not come to ye other, saue only whā nede requyred to minister the sacramētes. The church shuld be cōmune to both, neuerthelesse ye systers shulde be closed aboue in a closet, & the bre­thren to be beneth, waytyng vpō the diuine seruice: & yt these shulde tende the altare, & they the quere. The Abbesse shulde haue the primacy on S. Brydes behalfe, & ye bre­thren to be vnder her: so yt she shuld prouyde both man & womā meate, drynke & clothyng Amōge the brethrē shulde one be called Prior, warden or Cōfessoure, and be aboue ye o­ther. The wemen shulde be cōsecreated and brought in by the byshop. Theyr clothing is a graye cote wt a graye cloke therō, & a reed crosse in a whyte cyrkle. They may weare no lynnen, after the tenoure of theyr rule.

Theyr rule is S. Austins, wt it that S. Bryde put therto, which God (yf it be at the leest waye true) dyd declare vnto her and confir­med by the B. of Rome. In Sweden and Germany are theyr cloysters for the moost parte. These brethren heare confessions and preache at hyghe feastes. They haue also laye brethren, as in many places [Page] nto. Because of foren occupyeng hath euery cloyster hys certayne brethren & systers.

xliiii. The whyte spretes or Beghart order.

ANno. M. ccc. xcix. or as some saye. lxxxix. rose the Beghartes in Italy after a straunge rysyng of the people so that euery man wythyn the Alpes or mountaynes of Italy clothed hymselfe in a whyte lynnen garmente, hauyng a cole lyke a freres abyte, and cōmynge downe euen to the toes: amonge whom were many noble men and women, princes, prestes, mōkes & all kynde of spirituall men, which also clo­thed them of thys fashion. These all wente procession wyse, euer two and two together vnto the nexte cytie, and cryed with a mery noyse for peace and mercy. They sange and praysed God. Noman wēt aboute to begyle ony mā by craftynes at thys tyme, no straū ger was oppressed, all hatred ceassed, and alenuy turned to peace: Thys cōtinued ye space of. iii. monethes. Amōge these were ther. iii. M. of ye citie Luca, they wente to Florēce, ye men went before euer two & two, theyr wynes folowed them lykewyse in the precessiō [Page 29] wyth theyr faces couered. The crosse that wente before thē is yet at Luca, and is kept in great reuerence, to the which is a pylgri­mage, and ymages of gold, syluer and waxe are offred vnto it. The occasiō of thys was a prest whiche was so passynge in visage, wordes & behaueour, that of many he was taken for a saynte. Bonifact the. ix. B. of Rome caused hym to be taken at Uiterbiū ­to brynge hym vp to hym, to burne hym lyke an heretike, and to caste hys ashes in the ayer: & thus vanyshed thys swarme agayne alone by processe of tyme.

lxv. The order of whyte monkes of mount olyuete.

ANno. M. cccc. vi. in the tyme of the scisma or diuision betwene Benet ye. xiii. and Gregory the xii. byshops of Rome beganne thys order aboute Sena in Italy, by certayne cytesens of the same. For many cytesins fearynge God, as they saw thys discorde and diuision betwene these. ii. popesor B. of Rome, and other vnhappynesse in the worlde, gat a great grudge and myspleasure at it, drue together wyth one accorde, and a lytell frō the cytie vpon a hyll called olyue [Page] hyll, or mount olyuete, here beganne they to discharge them selues of worldly care, and to serue God lyke contemplatife heremites By the ensample of thys were many noble and gentlemen with other steared and in­flamed to ioyne themselfes to them, & lyued in heauenly contemplacion. Now whan theyr good noyse came to the B. of Romes eares, and theyr feruent contemplacion in godly thynges, he caused certayne of ye chefe of them to come to hym, to equire of theyr lyfe, and conuersacion: wherin he had an exceadynge greate pleasure, & confirmed thē wyth many priuileges. Theyr clothynge is all whyte. Theyr rule is S. Benets, wyth some addicions to it.

xlvi. S. Georges order.

ANno. M. cccc. vii. rose also a new regular order of S. George of Alga, by Uenice, that was begonne by the spirituall man ye Patriarke Laurence Iustiniane of an increable straytnesse of lyfe. Thys gatheringe dyd Gregory the. xii. stablysh vnder S. Peters rule & ye first order, wt certayn ordinaūces ioyned therto. Eugenius ye. iiii & many other notable byshops and cardinals [Page 30] were of thys order.

xlvii. S. Peters order or ye Apostles order.

THe yeare of oure Lorde. M. cccc. ix. dyd the order that was iustitute first of the Apostles, & afterwarde of S. Austine by the towne Hippo in Aphrica wō derously increase, and decaye agayne. Af­terwarde in the. xxii. yeare of Henry the. iiii ye Emperoure of Rome, (accordynge as many cronicles do specifye) was it set vp and raysed agayn by Iuo the byshop of Burgo­ny. Thys order, (namely to lyue after ye perfection of the gospell) is oft decayed and raysed agayne. Anno. M. ccc. xlii. in the tyme of Benet the. xii. B. of Rome shuld thys order haue ben raysed, cōfirmed, & brought agayn to hys olde flore. Some cal it the regular or the obseruaunt order of S. Austine. Thys order (yf it be els of the Apostles iustituciō) was fyrst raysed to God wtout ony rule or cōpulsion of theyr harte, beyng bound to no thynge, cleued to nothynge els but to God, possessynge al thinges as though they had & possessed them not, & lyued wtout ony diffe­rēce of meates & clothyng, beynge fre frō all pmyse saue only baptyme: but after yt s. Austine closed it in a rule, & the B. of Ro. haue [Page] patched many constitucyons and cōmaun­dementes to it, disanullynge the preceptes of God, as namely: wyth choyse & differēce of meates, clothynges, dayes, promyses, persons, places, tymes and with excludynge of mariage as an vnclenly thinge, is the order become the deuels order, and he abbot of it. The Apostles order ought to be commune vnto all Christen men, for they taught them alwaye in generall, and made no difference of Christen men. All Christians haue one commune doctrine, law, baptyme, lorde, gospell and Christ, but they haue so longe bot­ched and cobled to it, tyl it is become the deuels. It is so often chaunged, (the whiche I can not now all shewe,) vntyll at the laste they be clene dispensed from Christ, and his gospel, to a Iewysh spiritualty, and an order of theyr owne inuencyon.

xlviii. The order of the heremites of S. Ierome.

ANno. M. cccc. xii. is ther rysen an here meticall order of S. Ierō by Lupus of Hispalū a prouīcial of the order, whost rule is drawen out of the wrytynges of S. Ieroine: the which rule beynge sent to Martine the. v. B. of Rome to confirme, pleased [Page 31] hym very wel. So that these monkes, which afore had lyued after S. Austins rule, dyd now take S. Ierome for a gyde and master. They haue graye clokes, and saye seruyce after the Romane vse. We haue spoken of them afore also.

xlix. Camaldulensis order.

ANno. ix. L. and. l. dyd this order begyn in the parties of Hetruria by one Romuldus an abbot of Rauenna. This wyldernesse belonged to one Maduldus by name, which gaue it to Romuldus the holy man for a dwellynge place, after whom the holy man caused it to be surnamed for a perpetuall memory. He ordined his monkes to we are a whyte cole, to whom many gentle­men and other forsakynge the worlde dyd ioyne thēselues. Amonge all other was one Petrus Urceolus duke of Uenice come to theyr company, which after his death declared the holynesse of the order wyth many tokens and myracles. Whyle Romuldus lyued he dyd augmēt the order wonderously, so that in some places. iii. or. iiii. cloysters were buylt atonce, which increassed exce­dyngly in ryches, connynge, and persons. [Page] Theyr rule is vnknowen to me. Theyr cloke and all from toppe to toe is whyte. I doute in theyr opinion and mynde, and also in theyr virginite and behaueoure. For cronicles do prayse many thynges that are to be dispraysed, & agayne disprayse, yt is prayse worthy, wherof parcialite is sōtyme ye cause

¶ Lo good reader such thinges fynde I praysed thorow out with vaine prayse, as I wold rather blame yf I were requyred to be iud­ge: Wherfore counte many thynges to be spokē Ironice (that is not earnestly & of a cō trary me anynge) and than shalte thou ye better perceaue the trueth, and not my good-meanynge or iudgement wrytten agaynste the B. of Romes heretykes, orders and Popysh sayntes. Yf I prayse that which is not prayse worthy, I do iniury to it that is good and laudable. Yf I saye ye stewes or brothel­house is good and to be admytted, because of auoydynge farther inconuenience, I do iniury to Gods worde that extremely for­byddeth it, and preferre my good meanynge aboue Gods worde. Conferre only the. xvi. chap. of Ezechiel with these brothelhouses for the better vnderstandynge of thys.

¶ Here folowe some orders, whose tyme, founders, and begynners I coulde not hunte out, which orders neuerthelesse haue ben sene.
l. The order of Guilhelmites vnder Innocentius the. iiii. B. of Rome Anno. M. cc. xlvi.

ANno. M. cc. xlvi. was this order brought forth vnder Innocentius the. iiii. whose founder and begynner was Guilhelme Duke of A­quitania, and county of Aluernia: whiche beynge without issue, gaue all his patrymony, lande and goodes, and buylded the Giginacish cloyster, makynge Berno an Abbot therof, prouydynge it with many rētes and subsidies. Of hym hath this order the name Theyr clothynge is al blacke. Of this order haue we treated also in the. xi. order before.

li. The order of S. Ioseph.

[Page] THe order of S. Ioseph is vnknowen vnto me saue onely that they shulde we are an ashcoloured cote & a whyt cole or hoode, wherwith they ymagyne to serue and folowe Ioseph that is called Christes father: But I cā not tel wherin, seynge I fynde of hym no where wrytten that he vsed such a garment, but that he was a good symple man, a carpenter by his craft. Nowyf they wyll folowe hym in outwarde thynges, then must they take an are in theyr hā des and laboure also. But yf they wyll fo­low hym in chastite of mariage, & by ye con­sent of theyr wyues lyue chast, orels folowe his ryghteousnesse, wherof we reade Math ii. that may they do wel ynough in euery apparell, without excepcyon, lyke Ioseph dyd. Wherfore I can not perceaue theyr shyne and appearaunce, why they set Ioseph for a patrone: perchaunce they do it as the B. of Rome doth Christ. Some thynke because they haue absteyned frō theyr wyues, or els gone frō thē, wherof they haue no power wt out ye wyues wyll & cōsent. Yet I doute whether ye womā haue power to geue him leaue seynge they are commaūded (accordynge to theyr estate) to growe and multiplye. Ge. ii.

lii. Sepulchrers order.

THe Sepulchre brethrē dyd fyrst tēde the holy Sepulchre, and brought the Dutch brethren or pylgrems to and fro the holy Sepulchre: of whom they were well rewarded. They dyd weare longe beerdes, and a graye cote and a graye cloke theron, with a crosse vpon it. Whether they be spirituall men and within orders, am I not certifyed: I reken they be laye brethrē, and that because of theyr beerdes, which ar not comly for prestes. Theyr dayly taxe is a stente of Pater nosters.

liii. The Sheere order.

THis order surely haue taylers inuen­ted, for they weare for a bag a sheere of yron coloure vpon a whyte cloke. What that do signyfye can not I tell, wyth out it were, because they wolde seme to be cut and sundered from the worlde. Theyr cloke and cole is whyte. Theyr founder is vnknowen to me. I reken it be the taylers order, inuented of theyr patron, where with they be mocked dayly.

liiii. The Swearders.

[Page] THis order weareth whyt also, &. ii. reede sweardes crosse waye vpon a whyte cole, which signify theyr bloudy knight hode, wherwith they fyght agaynst the De­uell vntyl the bloude. Heb. xii. The whyte cloke perchaunce sygnifyeth theyr clēnesse, wherof they be as full, as a sparowe full of chastite, or a foole is of wysedome: and fast with chastisyng of theyr bodyes, vntyl they be fatte. How, whan, or where this order beganne am I not enfourmed of.

lv. The order of Starred mōkes

THe rule of this order haue no Croni­cles, that I haue red hetherto shewed me, neuerthelesse they weare an ho­nest blacke garment wt a starre sewed theron, wherby they maye be knowen. The grounde of theyr order is as of al other, namely, therby to do penaunce for theyr syn­nes, and to be iustifyed: which thynge is the moost wycked thyng of all orders, for it maketh them Heythenysh. ii. Petri. ii.

lvi. The order of Starred freres.

[Page 34] THese do not differ from the foresayd in clothyng nor rule, saue that they haue no cole or hoode. Theyr clo­thynge is lyke coloured and fashioned, with a crosse theron. Theyr purpose is all one. The starre sygnifyeth theyr harte to be heaued on hygh.

lvii. The crosse starred brethren

UPon a blacke cloke do these weare a dubble starred crosse, so that ye crucifyenge of theyr flesh is sygnifyed by the crosse, and the buryenge of theyr lyfe wt Christ in God is sygnifyed by ye starre. Item that they be folowers of the crucifyed Christ, whom with paunched bellyes, & blo­wen vp chekes, they helpe to bear his crosse vpon a pylow, whyle theyr rentes do last.

lviii. Cōstātinopolitanysh order

AT Constantinople shulde this order haue ben begon. Theyr rule is to confesse Christ with the mouth, but to denye his power, in trueth, to abrenoūce him, and to trust in theyr owne workes. Theyr cote is grene, theyrcole is reed, with two gelow crosses sewed theron: wherby is sygni­fyed theyr grene harte to Godwarde, and [Page] ready wyll to shed theyr bloude for Christes cause, the which perchaunce sygnifye also ye golden crosses that they esteme so greatly. Yf ony man coulde optayne the sygnifyca­cyon of these thynges without the clothyng that were good: but that the rayment shuld dispatch it, that is false.

lix. The order of Wentzelaus.

WEntzelaus shulde haue founded this order, and compiled them a rule, with a whyte cloke, cole, coate and many shynynge workes of theyr owne inuentyng wherwith they thynke to do penaunce for theyr synnes and to become aungels, euen those that be of the better or perchaunce of the worst sorte. But the other only therfore because they be slouthfull and leade a care­lesse lyfe, to serue theyr god, yt is, theyr belly.

lx. The order of Nolhart brethren.

THese be hyred and institute therfore in cyties that they (because theyr neghboures and frendes do shune them) shulde assiste the sycke in theyr neces­site, and to bury them, and do such other bu­synesse aboute the sycke and dead. They [Page 35] weare graye cotes, with a blacke scapulary vpon it, and a graye cloke ouer it. The we­men weare graye also, with whyte vayles.

lxi. The order of S. Iames brethrē

AT S. Iemyes in Scotlonde shuld this order haue bene founded, they weare graye clothynge, and a muskelshel vp­pon theyr brest, these haue ben sene. They shulde haue theyr rule of S. Iames, and shulde be his folowers.

lxii. The order of the brethrē of S. Iames with the swearde.

THis order (to confirme the fayth of fooles) shulde a B. of Rome haue cō firmed vnder a rule. They weare a blacke cote, with a whyte cloke without hoode ouer it, and a whyte cappe: And in tokē of theyr warre, they weare a swearde in theyr hande, theyr warre no doute is of ye fleshe agaynst the sprete.

lxiii. The brethrē of S. Helēs order.

WHat tyme S. Helen floryshed in holy­nesse, ther were certayne apes yt toke vpon them to counterfayte hyr lyfe, [Page] lyke gelous ydle bellyes. These grewe to a great multitude, whiche all toke vpon them to folowe and serue her, callynge themselues hir brethren: but it is no where founde that she shulde haue founded them. Theyr garment is all whyte.

lxiiii. The order of the brethren of Ierusalem.

ANno. M. c. iii. whan Ierusalem was destroyed rose this order in the tyme of Gregory the. vi. They drue toge­ther at Ierusalem, and began this secte, cal­lynge themselues brethren of Ierusalem after ye cytie. Theyr habyte was a graye cote & a cloke wt a cole, & a reed crosse vpon it, to sygnify theyr bloudy knyghthode against the enemyes of the crosse, which vāquished thē dayly, & were destroyed of them.

lxv. The order of the valley of Iosaphat.

IN the valley of Iosaphat shulde this order be, and we are all reed, though ye bloudy beast of Rome, ye B. I meane haue forbyddē ony of ye spiritualty to we are reed, that onely becommeth hym and his [Page 36] apostles. But what doth not mony: whiche also breaketh vowes, othes and promyses, & dispenseth wyth all thynges. Theyr rule is vnknowen to me, saue onely that they as al other orders cracke & boast vpon theyr reed abyte, & theyr owne inuēted Gods seruice.

lxvi. The Sclauony order.

THese gatherynge themselues from all partyes, & cōmyng in Sclauony, wear reed coles: in all fashion lyke to ye Au­gustiniās, only the coloure excepte. No cro­nicle that I haue red specifyeth of theyr mō mynge, order or rule. Theyr purpose is as of all other, which theyr abyte wytnesseth, though all other thynges were vnspoken of: namely, that they separatynge themselues, wyll walke in perfection, despysynge the cō ­mune sorte as euell Christen men.

lxvii. The new order of our Lady.

THis order is foūded vnder the Prea­chers order, which also call themsel­ues Maryes brethrē. Uerely it must haue ben a fruteful mother, that bare so many sonnes. They we are a whyte cote, & a black cloke theron, with a black freres cole.

lxviii. The order of the brethren of S. Ihon de ciuitate.

THese Iohannites or brethren of S. Ihon weare a reed cole, hoode and cote, with a chalice sewed vpō theyr brest, to signifye theyr holy presthode. They haue a rule seuerall from all other. I fynde no where the begynnynge of this order.

lxix. The Lazarites, or Mary Magdalens brethren order.

LAzarus and Mary Magdalene haue these taken as patrones, whome they notwithstandynge folow nother in penaunce, nor clothynge. For scripture kno­weth nought of the blacke cote & the whyte cole theron, yet wyll they be theyr folowers and auaunce theyr name.

lxx. The brethrē of wilful pouerte

THe brethren of wylfull pouerte are knowen welynoughe to the Dutch nacyon: they went crouchyng nym­bly by the stretes, and hadde on a cloke or mantel hangynge close before & open in the syde, requyrynge breade for Gods sake, ha­uynge a staffe wyth a crucyfixe and also [Page 37] a payre of beedes hangynge theron. They requyred no mony nor ryches, but only to be taken for the wyllynge poore. They spake to nomā, whereby they fayned theyr godlynesse and holynesse to ye people. They had plenteously geuen to them. The rych gaue them to drynke of theyr owne cuppes and cruses of the best drynke, countynge the vessel whereout they dranke euen halowed, and ye wyne also yt they left. Thus dyd they shyne to men, which thought all thynges to be well, & rekened thus to make satisfactiō for theyr synnes, and to merite much wyth God: which meanynge quencheth Christe wholy. Some other that (after the worldes iudgment) were worse, & perchaunce worser yet by God, begyled mē on thys wyse: They had in ye nexte vyllage or there about a fayre wyfe and other baggage, yt they caryed wyth them, so that they went not alone mōmyng and limlyftynge. After thys fashion is the worlde begyled alwaye, for so is hys wyll.

lxxi. The order of the Indians.

IN Inde, in the londes of Prester Ihō shulde also be an order which weare a black cote and a whyte cloke theron, [Page] whose rule accordeth wyth all other, na­mely that they boast & auaunce theyr good workes, lettynge noman come to heauē but by them, whereby they become Mammalu­kes, maneyed theues and murtherers. Ioh. x.

lxxii. The crosse bearers order.

THese wente stoupynge to the grounde with a longe whyte rochet, gyrded a­bout them with a corde, they wente alwaye bareheaded and spake not, they laye on the bare grounde, they wente alway knelynge euen to the grounde, and hangynge down theyr heades: they dyd weare a crosse of wood two spanne longe in theyr handes. Some dyd weare a boxe about theyr neckes wherin men put theyr almesses.

lxxiii. Another order of Scour­gers or Flagellatores.

IAme credably informed of some, that at Rome ther is a secte, as in other places of Italy, which are called Flagellatores or Scourgers these go in longe whyte lyn­nen shyrtes hauynge an hole on ye blacke, & are open vpō the bare skynne, there vpon do they beate thēselues wt scourges yt are made [Page 38] therto, so longe, tyll the bloud doth rūne out both ouer the shulders and also downe to & fete. These be admitted of the B. of Rome as penitēciares. They go barefooted in procession two and two together on good fry­daye, whan the passiō is preached. To these accompany themselues many renowned cytesins at that daye, which of great inwarde deuoci ō are also disgysed as the aforesayde, so that somtyme. iii. or. iiii. hundre thare sene in one processiō: Neuerthelesse the cytesyns go some vpon slyppers, and the shyrtes put on aboue theyr hosen, and haue a scourge in theyr handes, wherewith some stryke thē selues, some weare it only betwene theyr armes. But the true brethren of thys order go barefoote, and beate themselues vpon the bare, skynne tyll the bloude foloweth. The whyte lynnen garment hath a hoode sewed to it, that drawe they ouer theyr heades whan they wyll not be sene, thys commeth ouer theyr faces, and it hath holes lyke a bysore, wherethorow they both se and drawe theyr breth. Such as force not whether they are sene or not, or haue not dreth y­nough, they draw downe the cole from theyr heades, & scourge thēselfes so openly. Great [Page] men vse thys fantsy wyth them also, that they maye be partakers of theyr pardō, do penaunce for theyr synnes, & come to Gods fauoure. Of such lyke haue we spoken ano­ther where, but I ame not sure whether they be the same, forcause theyr order was cōdemned as heresy, and thys now is permitted. Surely the one is as good as the other, it is one potage of one pot.

lxxiiii. Chapter monkes, or the chapter order.

AT Schunbach by Tubynge in ye duke dome of Wirtēborow is ther a cloy­ster & order, which haue crownes, heer and gownes of all maner of colours, black, blewe and russet, euen lyke seculare prestes saue only that they haue rounde clokes lyke the vplandysh men haue, whose hoodes they draw vp or let downe. Theyr heade do they call a father. Theyr rule is S. Austins, or as some saye S. Peters. At Buschbach. iiii. myle from Frankforde was thys order re­fourmed, and made somwhat strayghter. These be of honest report amōg theyr neghbures. They haue a library wherin are Wesselus and Wicklefs workes of theyr owne [Page 39] handwrytynges & the fyrste copyes. They are learned mē, they preach, heare cōfessions & serue ye parysh yt they haue cure of. They call theyr head prouest. They wyll not be called mōkes, nor theyr house a cloyster, but syrs and brethren, and theyr house do they call a chapter house.

lxxv. The order of Monachi or Monache in Italy.

IN Italy do some orders persuade the cytesins both men and wemen to be partakers of theyr pardons and good dedes, although they be in state of mariage and that with wearynge of theyr habites. Upon thys doth one weare hys lyfe longe a gyrdell of the barefooted freres, another a graye cote: ye one promyseth to weare thys or yt gyrdell or rayment for ye orders loue, another maketh such maner of vowe or clo­thynge. Thus are they than in fye and bro­therheade wyth the holy fathers, whiche made them promes, to enioye al such pardōs and good workes as they do and haue: these be called monachi or monache. And the consyderaciō of the holy fathers in thys behalfe is, that they agayne be relyued wyth testa­mentes, [Page] buryals, cōfessiōs, diriges and o­ther aimesses, lyke brethren and systers.

lxxvi. The Stooll brethren order.

IN some cyties and other places is a brother head founded, wherin are ta­ken olde, aged mē past laboure, honest men and of good report, which communely haue beerdes. These are assygned to saye dayly a summe and taxe of Pater nosters, for the foūders and benefactours soules and all Christē soules. These weare a fatherly cote of black, blew or russet coloure, and a hoode with a flappe thangynge behynde.

Truth it is, that to helpe and relyue oldemē is a charitable dede, and worthy of great commendacion: but to lade them wyth an order or clothyng, and that founders requi­re much to haue done for them, that is Hey­thenysh. Yee in no place of the scripture is such lyke red, ether of Abraham, Isaak, Ia­cob, Ioseph, Iosue, Dauid or lyke holy and approbate men of God: no nor in the new testament nother.

lxxvii. The Gerundinensish order.

A Byshop of Gerundinū, Ihō by name had a dreame and visiō (euē as many thynges are done & founded by drea­myng [Page 40] and visions, and because noman doth proue the spretes, whether they be of God, but only do approbate it, that hath a good shew and appearaunce) vpon thys the myd­dayes deuell that chaungeth hymself into an aungell of lyght dyd easyly cause hym foūde & buylde a monastery. Thys he dyd, & gaue therto all hys goodes, and procured them an habite, rule, and maner of lyuynge of the B. of Rome. Theyr clothynge is all whyte, wyth the byshops shylde sewed therō whom he called after the partyes there a­bout Gerūdinenses. Theyr rule is todenye Christ in power, & to confesse him in mouth

lxxviii. The brethrē of Purgatorye.

WHether these be founded to haue theyr purgatory here in the strayght order, or that they be appoynted to relyue thē yt be in purgatory, can I not shew: only they weare a crosse sewed vpō a russet cloke & cote. Theyr fundamēt & intent is as of all other, namely to merite therby.

lxxix. The brethren of Scotlande.

IN Scotlande is a place or order whiche weare a grene cloke & cole or hood, wher by perchaunge they do sygnifye theyr [Page] grene and alway floryshynge harte in God. The begynnynge of theyr rule and order is vnknowē to me, but sure I ame that a wyc­ked cōscience and an vnfaythful harte hath founded them, that therby they myght helpe themselues.

lxxx. The order of the keyed. monkes.

Thys order weareth two heauēly keys vpon a black cloke, to sygnyfye that they haue power of heauē both to bynde and lowse. Wherfore they boast to haue theyr sprynge, rule, order and abite of S. Peter theyr founder and patrone, of whom they also haue receaued theyr keyes.

lxxxi. The order of the Lordes of Ungary.

IN Ungary are rych spiritual Lordes & an order which weare a white cote, & a reede cloke theron, where vpon they haue a grene crosse. They haue alway a boke wyth them, to declare therby theyr spiritualty. Theyr fundament, rule and or­der is as of al other.

lxxxii. The order of ye holy goost,

[Page 41] AT Rome, at Gruningen in Wyrtē borow dukedom, and in other places is this order, clothed and shauen lyke o­ther prestes, onely do they weare a dubble whyte crosse. These haue authorite of ye B. of Rome to absolue all crymes. Where so euer these come a visitacyon or lymytynge, there must they be letten in. They haue al­so letters and seale, that whereso euer they come to vysite, al other muste voyde & geue them rowme. At Gronyngen haue they a great state by theyr beggynge. At Rome are the poore greatly relyued in the hospitall, yt it haue some shyne of holynesse to bleare mens eyen, & lest men thynke theyr mony euell bestowed. The lymetynge of S. Ua­lentine, Quirine, Antony and such lyke are other brotherheades, wherwith muche mo­ny hath ben pyckte out of realmes and contryes. For they haue such vnmercyfull sayntes, that without mony myghte no mercy nor brotherhead haue ben obtayned. These are metely well knowen. Theyr order is to begyle the people, theyr garmentes prestly. Theyr rule is to fray the people with theyr sayntes, to lye, to prate, and preache all home. ii. Petri. ii. ii. Timo. i.

lxxxii. Speculariorum Order.

THe order of Speculariorum, began in Italy. They weare a black crosse vpō a whyte cloke, & vnder the crosse is a blacke circle or a glasse, perchaūce they haue the same name because they wolde be taken for a spectakle to all ye worlde in theyr lyuynge.

lxxxiii. The order of Hospitall brethren.

THese are founded in some places and hospitals to tende the sycke, and to assist thē in syknesses & necessite of death. Theyr garmentes are for the moost parte blacke.

lxxxiiii. The order of S. Katherine of Sene.

ANno. M. cccc. lv. dyd shyne S. Kathe­rine of Sene a dyers doughter, which refusynge the state of Matrimonye toke vpō her yt. iii. order of saynt Dominike or preachers. Christ shuld haue maryed her with a rynge wherin were. iiii. pearles and one diamonde, and taken hyr harte from [Page 42] her geuynge her his therfore. Of this saint Katherine that was canonisate by Pius ye ii. hir contryman, B. of Rome is rysen a great secte. They we are garmentes lyke blacke or preacher freres. Theyr cloke and vayle are blacke, theyr cote is whyte. They dyffer muche from all other orders in cere­monies, saue only in the Psalter, ye whiche they bable without vnderstandynge, and in trustynge in theyr good workes.

¶ Of all sectes and orders in generall.

THe order of the B. of Rome, Cardi­nals, Patriarkes, Byshops, Curti­sans, Prestes, Deacons, and such o­ther is metely well knowen, & are therfore here passed ouer, so that the knowen orders do here ende. I passe ouerhere such orders & gods seruice as euery one taketh vpon him of his owne chosynge, wherof ther are ma­ny thousandes, and neare hande so many as are men in the worlde. As pylgrimage go­ers, Psalter sayers, oure Lady psalterers, massehearers, fasters, kepers of sylence. &c. For onely they yt be earnest trusters & bele­uers in God are Christen men, & prayers [Page] thorow fayth all other good seruices and spiritualties that we take vpō vs of our owne chosynge and inuencyon, are sectes, orders and rules.

Fourtene fay­thes or sectes of Christendome onely, besyde all other straunge orders, and faythes.

i. The secte, order and fayth of the Latines or Romanes, that is, the Byshops of Rome.

THe fyrst & princypall of al Roma­ne Christē is ye B. of Ro. wt al his mēbres & adherentes, wherfore he wyll be called heade of yt church, and vseth the Latine tunge. This fayth or secte is torne in many thousandes within it selfe, & hys kyngdome parted many wayes. Under this head are gathered in ye vnite of his sprete al ye aforesayd sectes. Theyr faith & vse is metely well knowen vnto vs, seyng we haue gone to scoole vnder hym, & haue bē rocked & lulled in his ceremonies. This [Page 43] manyheaded fayth (I saye) hath noryshed & brought forth all these doughters. Surely ther shalbe lytel lacke also in other faythes, seynge this onely fayth hath so many doughters disagreynge within themselues. This fayth hath a great deale of Europa tyll the weste, & compasseth & reacheth to the Easte vntyll Hungary: (Bohemy or Beme is de­cyuered frō them.) Towarde the South vntyll Italy, Sicily & Naples: Towarde the West vntyll Portingale, Spayne, Fraūce, and low Bermany. These haue many kingdomes belongynge to theyr fayth, as name­ly: The kynge of Castyle, Arragony, Por­tingale, Nauerne, all these are in Spayne. Item Fraunce, Sicily, Naples, Hungary, Pole, Scotlande, Denmarke, Sueden, Norwaye, Sclauony. &c. with many other Du­kes, Coūties, Marquisses & other, Uenice, ye Ile Cipres. &c. Al these be vnder ye iurisdiction of ye B. of Ro. with the Emperour also, that duely ought to be a Germane.

ii. Greci, the fayth, order and secte of the Grekes.

THer is another sorte of Christians in the Easte, called Greci, that is Gre­kes: They haue had theyr Byshoppe

[...]

[Page] MArouini holde in many poyntes wt the Iacobites, yet is ther some difference. Theyr speche is Arabysh. They dwel by and aboute the hyl Libanus. They are honest, but warrefaryng people, which are ofte assaulted of the Saracenes.

vi. Nestorini.

THese also are seuerall Christians, whiche are so taught and informed of Nestorinus the heretike. This Nestorinus was a Byshop of Constantinople, & sayd ther were. ii. persones in Christ, the one the Godheade, the other the man­hode: and sayd that Mary shulde not be cal­led the mother of God, but of the māhode, & bryngeresse forth of Christ the man, or after ye māhode only. These consecrate the sacrament in leuended bread, and vse yt Chal­deysh spech. They dwell in Tartary, and in greate India are also many of them.

Theyr borders conteyne asmuche in com­passe, as Dutchlande and Italy, wherin they all haue this fayth, and holde with Nestorinus.

vii. The Moronites.

[Page 45] THese Christians haue theyr sprynge and begynnynge of one Moron an heretike. They graunt onely one vnderstandynge, worke, kynde, nature & wyll in Christe. These dwell by Libia in the prouince of Phenicia, a great multitude, war­farynge men, quick with bowes & arowes & good archers. I beleue they be the same that aboue are called Morouini. They vse after the maner of the Latines bels, byshops or­namentes, cope, rynge, myter, crosyer. &c.

Theyr scripture is Caldeysh, but theyr na­tyfe speche is Arabysh. They haue ben vn­der the B. of Rome, vntyll the tyme of In­nocentius the. iii. for than was theyr Patriarke in a coūcell at Rome, but afterwarde whan he was at Cōstantinople, in a coūcell that he helde, he fel frō the Romane church, he fel therto & from it agayne: But nowe do they stāde stedfastly vpō theyr own brayne.

viii. The Armenians of ye greater Armenia.

ARmeni are Christiās in greater Ar­menia dwellyng by Antiochia, which cc. yeare agone were subdued of the Turkysh Emperoure & made tributary to hym. These Christiās differ muche frō the [Page] Romanes. They kepe no feaste or holydaye saue only the Sondaye. They faste not on Easter euen, they knowe nothynge of the Newyeare, Candelmasse & such lyke dayes. They saye that Christ rose on Easter [...] at euensonge tyde. They eate flesh euery frydaye betwene Easter and Wytsontyde. Neuerthelesse they kepe and fast lent tho­rowout, and that so straytly, that on wednisdayes and frydayes they nother eate fysh, flesh nor oyle, nor yet drynke wyne, coūtyng it more synne to vse wyne on these dayes, thā yf they stayned thēselues with goynge into an vnhonest house. Thre dayes in the weke do they absteyne from all maner of meate, but two dayes they eate once. On ye Tewsdaye and Sondaye make they mery. They haue no masse all Lente, saue onlye on Satyrdayes and Sondayes. Nother say they masse on ony frydaye of the whole yeare: for they wyll not offer on that daye that the oblacion was made. They housie yonge chylderen of two moneths & al other without excepcion. They mixe no water wyth wyne at theyr masse. They playe the Iewes wyth theyr vnclenly beastes, as hares, crowes and suche other beastes. [Page 46] They consecrate wyth wooden and glassy chalices, some wyth patine, some wythout ony massynge apparrel, some haue nomore but a cope on. Usury and Simony are com­munely vsed amonge them both prestes & laye people, euen as the Georgians do, wt whome they are alwaye at variaunce, and ech part counteth ye other heretikes. Theyr prestes haue maryed wyues, but after hyr deceasse they renew not matrimony. They geue a man power to put frome hym hys wyfe that breaketh wedloke, and to take a­nother. They vtterly denye purgatory, and saye ther are two natures in Christe. They shew the Georgians to erre in. xxx. artikles from the true fayth of Christe. Theyr pre­stes are lusty, and ful, more than the laymē, and vse nigromancy for the moost parte.

They haue theyr owne spech and language wherin they execute all theyr Gods seruice preachynge and syngynge, so that both men and women do vnderstande them. Theyr chefe or heade byshop is called Catholicon, whome they worshyp reuerently. Some say they eate flesh all the yeare thorow.

ix. The Surian order, or [Page] Samaritan fayth.

IN Syria or Assyria is the heade cytie Sur, whiche hath a sundery fayth.

They vse in theyr masse and scriptur the greke tunge, but els, the Saracēs, theyr natyfe langage. They haue a byshop, whose cōstitucions they obey in all thynges. They consecrate with leuended breade, wherein they holde wyth the Grekes agaynst the Romanes. Some Christians dwellynge in Ie­wry aboute Ierusalem, called Samaritani do hold with these, the which were cōuerted fyrst in the Apostles tyme. They differ frō ye churche of Rome in many artikles, which what tyme they were obedient to ye churh of Rome, they obserued: but now they are [...]ecyuered and parted from it.

x. The Mosarabites, or A­rabysh Christians

THys secte dwelled somtyme in great nombre in Aphrica and Spayne, but now are there but a fewe. They kepe the vse of the Christians in Aphrica, nearehande in all poyntes. They say masse in latine, they obey ye churche of Rome they cōsecrate with vnleuended breade, yet vary [Page 47] they in many thynges from the Romanes. The daye is diuided wyth them in. xxiiii. houres, and so many collets, Psalmes or seruices haue, they to euery houre a seuerall, but not after ye latine fashion. That the La­tines saye in the begynnynge that do they saye in the ende. The sacrament of altare do some diuide in. vii. or. x. peces. They are a very deuoute people. They mary none without they be of theyr nacion and fayth. Yf a man dye, ye woman marieth not agayn but remayneth in chastite & wedowheade.

xi. The Moscouites and whyte Russes fayth.

MOscouites is a naciō in Asia whose lande is called Moscouia. Theyr kynge and gyde that now is, is cal­led Basilius, a quicke, victorious and for­tunate man of warre. Which was in ye sege with the Turkysh Emperoure before Ui­enne in Eastenrich. anno. M. D. xxix He hath aboute a. xx. contryes vnder hym, ac­cordyng as he auaunceth hym in hys tytle. Thys kynge with hys subiectes wyl be cal­led a good Christian: he boasteth hym to be of saynt Paules fayth, whiche shulde haue prescribed them theyr fayth, lawe and ordi­naunce, [Page] and to kepe and retayne thys vntyll hys returnynge. In thys lande (as in many other partyes of Grece) do the wyues wear alway a shewsole vpon theyr heades, but ye poore weare thē of cloth & the rych of gold & beluet, to signifye theyr subiection and obedience due to the man, so that she is content so to submitte herselfe as thoughe the man shulde go vpon hyr heade, and knowledge hym for hyr Lorde. Thys fayth vse the whyt Russes also.

xii. The fayth of the Bemes or order of the Hussites.

THough the Bemes haue ben vnder the B. of Romes iurisdiction and acco­stumed wyth hys lawes and fayth, yet are they conuerted and seduced by Ihon Husse that was burnt in the councell of Constaunce. anno. M. cccc. xvi. so that they are deciuered and fallen from the sye Rome. They geue the sacramente of the altare vnto theyr laymē vnder both kyndes, agaynste the commaundement of the B. of Rome: yee and vnshryuen also. But in other thynges do they cleue to the Byshop of Rome: for they nother do eate [Page 48] flesh on wednisdayes, nor frydayes, they syng, hepe holy dayes and worshyp sayntes as in the byshopryke of Rome. They kepe theyr fastes very straytly. It is a fearce people and enclyned to lyberte.

xiii. The order of Waldenses or Picardes.

THe Picardes (that were seduced by Waldus the heretike) area seuerall kynde of Christen people in Beme. These leade a very Christen and blamlesse lyfe, they call vpon no sayntes or creatures but only God. They sweare not atall, countynge it to be vncomly for a Christen man so to do. They haue no image at all, they knele not afore them nor pray to thē. They say ye sacramēt ought not be worshipped, but Christ at ye ryghthād of hys father, & God in sprete & truth. They haue no begger amōge thē, & helpe & coūsel ech other brotherly. Yet are they diuided in two, or as some saye, in thre partes: namely, ye greate, ye lesse & ye leest of all. They hold greatly wt ye Anabaptistes they haue all thynges cōmune, they Christē no chyldrē, they graūt not Christes body to be in ye sacramēt: neuertheles ye great heape beleue in ye sacramēt. They psue ech other, whereby [Page] they vtter theyr sprete, though they shyne neuer so fayre. They are alwaye at ye least. lxxx. thousande. They set nought by the B. of Romes fayth orders, spiritualty, fastyng, holydayes, masse, prayenge, syngynge, rea­dynge. &c. I passe ouer here the Taborytes, which also haue a seuerall fayth.

xiiii. The Georgians secte and fayth.

THese Christians haue the Tartaries made tributaryes to them. two. C. yeare ago. They vse the Grecians maner in many poyntes. They broder vpō the Perses, reachynge from Palestina vn­tyll the mountaynes called Caspy. They hadde. xviii. byshoprykes, and one heade or chefe byshop whome they called Catholicō. They were fyrste subiecte vnto the sye of Antiochia, a warrefarynge people. Theyr prestes haue crownes shauen rounde, but ye layemen foresquared. Theyr wyues be partly vsed to warre, and be hyred therto. Be­fore they stryke ony felde they do drynke largely, that they maye fall on theyr enemyes with the better corage and more fearcely.

Theyr prestes & spiritualty kepe the walles [Page 49] and fenses, and vse vsery, finaunces and sy­mony. They are euer at debate with the armenians, whom they call heretikes. Both the Armenians and Georgians ar now subiecte to the Turke. Theyr name haue they of saint George theyr patron, in whose na­me they fyght, whom also they haue in theyr standarde and banners. They border also vpon the Medes and Sirians, of whō they are greatly dradde, yee and of all the Easte partes also. Whan they go to the holy Se­pulchre, they entre the cytie Ierusalē with spled banners: for the Saracenes shune thē sore, nother paye they ony where tribute. Theyr wiues haue heere & beerdes as ye mē, and go also to warre. They weare hygh to­ted hattes. What so euer they ascribed some tyme vnto the Soudane, yt dyd he graūt thē agayne: for they were of great estimacyon by hym, & are greatly accepted euery where for theyr valeaunt dedes and worthynesse.

Here do I passe ouer also the Gothyes and Wandalyes, whose landes and kyngdomes hath euery one his Christen fayth.

Sclauony also hath in many thynges an o­ther religion, Gods seruice and maner, se­uerall from all other.

Fyften orders sectes or supersticions of the Iewes.

i. Samaritani.

IN the tyme of Sarabella or (as sayeth Iosephus the. xi. boke, ye. vii Chap. of antiquityes) Sanabal­lat the debite of Ierusalem, rose the fyrst scisma or dissencyon amonge yt Ie­wes, on this wyse: Manasses the brother of Iadi the byshop confederated hymselfe with the debite or leutenaūt, which was an Hey then, & toke the doughter of the vncircumcysed to wyfe agaynst the lawe vpon the con­dicyon that he shulde make hym hygh prest or byshop. Now seynge that in this dede he dyd transgresse the lawe, he gat euell wyl of many of the Iewes, yee he was euen reiect and hated of them. Upō this dyd his father in lawe buylde hym a temple vpon mounte Garisim, and set ye foresayd Manasses ther in agaynst Iadus his brother, geuyngt him a village therto: and they that helde on hys [Page 50] syde were called Samaritans. These dispē ­sed with the lawe in many thynges, and yet wolde be called Iewes. This discencyon la­sted vntyll the destruccyon of Ierusalem by Titus and Uespasianus.

ii. iii. Morbonei and Meristei.

ISidorus in the. viii. boke of the Ethimologyes wryteth, that amonge yt he­resyes of the Iewes some were called Saduces, some Morboneies, some Meri­steies: of the which two last sectes and or­ders I coulde fynde nomore though I sear­ched diligently for it, but that ye Meristeies receaue not all the prophetes, sayenge: that some haue not wrytten of a good sprete. The Morbonet saye yt it is Christe yt hath taught them to kepe holy day in al thinges.

iiii. The Pharises both theyr secte and fayth.

THese. iii. sectes or supersticyons folo­wynge, were also amonge the Iewes in Christes tyme. The Pharisaicall secte was separate from the commune ly­uynge, and wolde be estimed the perfecte in the lawe (euen as by vs monkes and freres [Page] are the choyse of people,) which stacke in ye lawe ouer heade and eares, so that all that was sene on them semed holy and iuste: but onely the wycked hart, vnknowē to ye world but knowen to God, yt was enemy to God. This coulde not the world iudge, wherfore by reason of theyr shynynge holynesse they were in great estimacyon amōge ye Iewes. To be playne, it were the Iewes monkes, which in theyr and the peoples mynde were nearest the prycke: these rose in the tyme of Ptolomeus Philadelphus. They were called Pharisei, because they were separate & sundered from the other people, both in clo­thynge and conuersacyon, but had notwith­standynge a lyke wycked harte & hatred to the lawe with the other. They lyued strayt­ly after the workes of the lawe, and measu­rable in meat, they dyd weare a scrol of par­chement on theyr foreheades, and on theyr lefte hande the ten cōmaundementes wrytten for a remembraunce and continuall ex­ercyse. They dyd weare also brode gardes about theyr garmentes, wherin were boūde thornes and pryckes, that shulde cause them to remēbre Gods cōmaundementes. They ascrybed all thynge to God & his predesti­nacyon. [Page 51] They neuer answered theyr heade frowardly. They hoped a iudgemēt of god, and a resurreccyon of the dead. They sayd that a mans soule is immortal. These good men were Christes mooste enemyes, and causers of his death, which they were best worthy.

v. The Saducees secte.

SAducei another sect in Israel, which helde nothynge of the predestinacyon of God, sayd yt God dyd beholde all thynges, but it is in mans choyse ether to do good or euell. They denyed the resur­reccyon of the flesh, and also that ther were ony aūgels. They beleued that the soule peryshed with the body. They receaued onely the. v. bokes of Moses. They accompanyed themselues with noman, but led so strayght and earnest lyfe, that they were called Sa­ducei, that is the ryghteous.

vi. The Esseyes, and theyr religion.

THe Esseyes led in all poyntes neare hande an heremiticall and monasti­call lyfe. They despised matrimony, [Page] not of hatred that they had to the state of it nor yet because they dyd counte it vnholy, but to flye the lustes and prouocacyō of we men, thynkynge that none kepeth hyr pro­myse. They were so ioyned in loue, that as chyldren of one father, and despysers of all transytory goodes they brought together al theyr substaunce and possession, and had all thynges commune. They dyd counte it vn­comly to go in ony other saue whyte garmē tes. They had stewardes and officers in worldlye busynesses, but they themselues medled with nothynge saue onely the lawe of God. They had no certayne dwellyng, but were lo [...]ged in euery cytie. They shyf­ted no clothes nor shues tyll they were worne out. They were of great contēpla­cyon in Godly matters, they vsed few wor­des. The daye dyd they euer begynne wyth prayenge, after that went they to worke e­uery one that he was skylled in, vntyll. v. of the clocke, at the which season they came together to dyne. But afore they sat thēselues therto, they washed themselues with colde water & gyrded a whyte lynnen cloth about thē: this done, they went to theyr meate, yt theyr prest fyrst blessed. After dyner & grace [Page 52] sayd they returned agayne to worke. No noyse was herde ony where in theyr lodgynges, but kept great silence: They coūted an oth euē forswearyng. They toke none in to theyr secte wtout he were proued one yeare, after the whiche they were sworne to kepe theyr fayth to God, loue and ryghteousnes to men, and to prynces to yelde due obedi­ence: and yf it so fortuned that they shuld be chosen to gouerne other, yt then they shulde not vse ye power to ye suppressynge of theyr subiectes. In theyr iudgemēt sat no lesse thē c. persons, whose sentence remayned vnmo­ueable. The sabbath obserued they so ear­nestly, yt vpō it they nother dressed meat, nor kyndled ony fyre: yee dyd not theyr easemēt nother. On other dayes whā they wente to do theyr easement they toke a spade wt thē, dygged a pyt, wherouer they sat to do theyr easemēt, lettyng downe theyr clothes about thē, lest they dyd iniury to Gods shadowe, & couered it agayn wt ye digged vp earth. This must nedes be a righteousnesse: yet abydeth it an order, sect & fylthynesse Esa. lxiiii. both before God & mā, though they hyde theyr easement neuer so preuely, not onely before God & man, but also before the elementes. [Page] Herodes Antipas had this secte in great re­uerence vntyl his death, nother is ony euel reported therof in storyes: yet is it nothing worth before God. Yf our religious myght auaunce this also, (fyrste that theyr secte is Gods ordinaunce and commaundement, secondarely that they had so lyued therafter, that with the trueth they coulde not be bla­med) how wolde they cracke and boast? yet doth God damne this secte also Ioh. vii. Rom. ix. x. Of these thre last rehearsed sec­tes reade Iosephum the. ii. boke of ye Iewes battayle the. vii. Chapter at large.

vii. The Iewes secte and religion.

THough these haue receaued the lawe of God vntyl ye tyme of fulfyllyng, yet are they now (seynge they haue refused the Messias and lost the true lyght) rekened for a darknesse, secte and heretikes of S. Ierome and Austine: which besyde ye Talmud (wherin is gathered together euē an v [...]brement of vayne dreames) haue on­ly in Moses bokes. vi. C. lawes. It is surely a poore people, that with vayne hope doth so trouble itselfe, and hath an harde order yf it wyll fulfyll the same wtout dispensyng. [Page 35] These are scattred amonge all nacions, and a very fleshly people, which wyll vnderstand all scripture after the letter, & scarce knowe whether ther be ony sprete. They be diui­ded wythin themselues so well as we, yet darre they not vtter it, left they be laughed to skorne of vs. Besyde the lawe haue they also receaued many constitucions of men. Theyr order is well knowen to the nedy Christiās, for they are vsurers, and in many places are these open robbers suffred, to the greate dammage of euery man.

viii. Rechabite or Recha­bites secte.

REchabite or Rechabites are they ye toke vpon them to folow the cōmaū mēt of ye Rechabites. And of yt which Ionadabs chylderen dyd of a fre wyll in ob­eynge theyr father, (wherby God praysed them not for theyr workes sake, but for theyr obedience) haue these apes and other Iewes coueted to obtayme suche prayse, makynge themselues a lawe and yock, the whiche is not acceptable to God. Upon thys haue o­ther Iewes (that wolde also be Rechabites) gone to & drynke no wyne, buyld no houses [Page] sowe no feldes, & plante no vynes foreuer: & whiche perchaunce they dyd not, because they gat ynough with vsury. Wherfore I cal such Iewes Rechabites, that wyll in dede conterfayte Ionadabs chylderen or the Re­chabites in that, for the which they haue obtayned the blessynge of God: hopynge that God wyll blesse them also, seynge they do it that the chylderen of Ionadab dyd Of thys reade Ieremy the. xxv. Chapter. To be shorte and playne for thyne vnerstandynge: Ionadab a sonne of Rechab commaunded hys chylderen neuerto drynke wyne, buylde no houses, sowe no feldes, plante no vynes, but only to dwell in tentes. Thys dyd they of wyllynge obedience, though they nother were cōmaūded nor forbyddē it in the lawe. Thys obediēce of the good chylorē pleased God so wel, yt he wold haue other to take example by them, sayenge: Lo that to the chyl­deren of Ionadab, how muche more ought ye to obey me whiche ame youre God & fa­ther? For thys cause he blesseth the house of Ionadab and Rechabs kynred, so that ther shall not fayle one to stande alwaye in the syght of God. Upon thys wente the Iewes to and toke vpon them also to be Rechabites [Page 54] and wolde drynke no wyne, plante no vynes &c. as though God dyd not more regarde o­bedience than absteynynge from wyne. Thus were the workes of the chylderen of Rechab or Ionadab acceptable to God, seynge they were done in obedience. But the same workes done of the apes and coun­terfayters, please God nothynge at all, for they haue no precept nor cōmaundement to do, or to leaue them, but they do thē of theyr owne heade. Wherfore God doth not re­garde them, nother can they do thē in fayth seynge they stond in doute whether God be well apayed wyth them, or not. And all that is done wythout fayth and obedience, is playne synne, which yf it were done in fayth and obedience were iustifycacion. By thys commeth it that many folysh Iewes drynke no wyne, counterfaytynge other therin, as we also playe the apes in oure orders: yee lyke Manasses dyd counterfayte Abra­ham in offrynge vp of hys chylde.

ix. Nazaret or Naza­rets secte.

[Page] THe Nazarees confesse Iesus of Nazareth to be the sonne of God, yet kepe they all the lawes and ceremonyes of the olde testament. They refuse the newtestament, receauynge none but the olde, as more credible. They holde much wyth the Helonites, sayenge that the fayth in Christe be good, but it is not sufficient without the workes of the lawe, and kepynge of the commaundemēts of Moses. Agaynste the which is Paule Roma. ix. x. Gala. iii. iiii. v. vi.

x. Galilei or Galileans.

GAlilet be also Iewes, separated from the Iewes in Iudea or Ierusalem in many thynges. For as they differ in bodely fashion and spech from them that dwell in Palestina, euen so differ they also in religion and fayth. Thys appeareth by S. Peter, whom hys speche dyd bewraye as he was at Ierusalem in the courte of Annas and Cayphas hygh prestes. It is to be mar­ked farthermore, that euery fayth and naciō hath hys religious, as aboue is specifyed of ye Romanes. The Romanes before Christes byrth had theyr Flamines, Prothoflamines and so forth, whiche were halowed or conse­crate [Page 55] to theyr temples vses. Besydes these they had: Salios, Diales, Uestales. &c. that were as oure religious and cloysterers.

The Turke also hath hys spirituall and re­ligious. So sort is blyndnesse, erroure and foolysh speculacion rooted in the world that it is euen the best coyne and valued mony, wherwyth the world wyll be payed. Yf one endeuoure to vtter thys plantacion of man wyth theyr golden and glysterynge holynes conferrynge it wyth the infallible and pure worde of God in hys scripture: he is as wel herde and accepted, as yf he dyd caste pear­les before swyne, whiche yf thou wylt wash of theyr walowynge in the myre, and dryue them to the cleare water, they drawe back, knorre, yee are euen ready to teare the. God graunte vs once to haue eyes to se: yf it be hys pleasure.

xi. Idumei or Idumeans.

THe Idumeans the neghbures to the Iewes which ar a grosse warrefaryng people, enclined to sedicion and in surrectiōs, and therfore wolde be the Iewes fellowes, neuerthelesse more in wyckednes than in obseruynge the lawe. These were [Page] let in to Ierusalem preuely be the zelotes, a lytle before the sege that Titus layde there before it, whereby was caused much vnhap­pynesse and mysery at Ierusalem the which Iosephus treateth at large in the. vii. boke of the Iewysh battayle the. xxviii. chapter. But how they beynge ouercomme of Hir­canus, became Iewes and were circūcysed reade ye. xiii. boke of antiquites of Iosephus the. xvi. Chap. Thys Idumea bordereth vpō Egypte, and lyeth by the hylles of Arabia, which of the Hebrues was called Edom, but of other it is called Gobolitis and Amale­chitis, whose kynge wythstode the chylderē of Israell, and wolde not let them passe tho­row hys londe.

xii. zelotes or Gelous secte.

THese were suttyll and sedicious ras­cals amonge the Iewes of Ierusalem whiche gaue themselues that name, as though they were gelous for the lawes of God (euen as such wycked conspiracions and rysynges are wōt to be garnyshed wyth clamyng & defendynge some good tytle) and were notwythstondynge vyle & noughty fellous, that wolde fayne haue ben fre, & rulers thēselues: yee it was all for ye good Māmon. [Page 56] These drue together, wyllynge to dispatche many thynges (as the nature of such frātike people is to take much vpō them) they wold defende Ierusalem, whiche was rather the cause of destructiō therof. Thys heape now of the false Iewes that bended together and wolde haue no rulers ouer them, but wolde rule themselues, and be called the fre Iewes yee by whome the destruction of Ierusalem dyd come, were called zelotes, yt is gelous. The dyd often fyght wyth the cytesins of Ierusalem, disquietynge euery man therof. They hadde also captaynes, but chefly one Ihon Giscalenus a very traytoure. These made a confideracy wyth the Idumeans, & sent priuely for them to come to Ierusalem and helpe them. But after that yt Idumeans sawe theyr wycked dealyng, they forsoke thē and wente home agayne. The zelotes (as it fortuneth whan rude men wyll rule) yet­ted all the daye vp & downe the stretes ydle, robbynge all yt they coulde snatch, and foūde lyghtely an occasiō to euery thynge. Thus was ther great treason: for ye cytesins were fayne to kepe silēce, orels to flatter them, so yt vnoutspeake able force was done to them. All ryghteousnesse, lawe and honestye was layde vnder foote. Iosephus can scante [Page] comprehende in. iiii. bokes all the mysery and force of the zelotes. Euery daye were scarmussynges, nother durst ony man be­wayle thys vnrighteousnesse and wronge: but euery man must be styll, as though they were honeste and louers of God and hys lawe, for whome the lawe dyd make. For thys cause haue I not vnaduisedly ioyned thys secte to the other also. Loke farther of them in the. vii. boke of the Iewysh battayle the. xxv. chapter.

xiii. Sicarii or Swearders

AFter the destruction of Ierusalem, whan Cireneus was debite of Iewry certayne sedicious Iewes, not vsed to bondes and seruice drue together, callyng themselues Sicarii, of a murthure knefe called sica. These wold not obey the Romanes commaundementes, but lyke good Iewes (as they called themselues) fyght agayne for theyr loste fredome: and defyed vtterly all such Iewes as denyed to helpe thē, robbinge and burnynge of suche Iewes all that they coulde come by. Thus beganne a pyteous murthurynge euery where. They sayde also that whoso wold not helpe to withstonde the [Page 57] Romanes, shulde be estemed lyke the Ro­manes. Iohānes Giscalenus iustifyed such as were adherentes to them, but as for thē that ether coūselled for the best agaynst thē, or otherwyse withstode them, they were slayne: for all theyr doynge was nothynge but force, so that the wanton horse wanted only them yt wolde release hym of ye brydle, that he coueted to be red of. The spersed I­dumeans and zelotes dyd soone ioyne thē selues to these, which were nearehande all rooted out, so that lyke came to lyke. After many robberyes and destruccyon of pro­uinces, both of theyrs and the Romanes they were rooted out & had a shameful ende (as communely all insurreccyons and con­spiracyons do) vnder Festus and Albinus. Of theyr spirituall lyfe, dedes, robbery and ende reade Iosephus the. xx. boke of anti­quities, the. xiiii. and. xvi. Chapters. Item in the boke of the Iewysh battayl the. vii. boke the. xxviii. and. xxix. chapters, wherof this is brefly the sūme: Certayne of the forsayd Sicaryes that were fled the persuynge of Al­binus, fled vnto a stronge holde called Massada wherin one Eleazarus was captayne. Thys holde dyd the Romanes also besege. [Page] As for Massada was buylded vpon a hygh mountayne, by Ionathas a byshop of the Iewes, and afterwarde by kynge Herode was it fensed & made strōge, prouyded plenteously with all maner of ordynaunce and vitayles. He layd also a wall of fre stone aboute the cytie. viii. myle compasse, whose heyght was. xii. cubytes, and the bredth. viii. cubites and vpon the wall he buylded. xxvii. towres, which were of, l. cubytes heyght. Two thynges occasioned Herode to make this towne so strōge: The fyrst was that he feared lest the Iewes wolde depose hym of the kyng­dome, and restore his predecessoure in to it agayne. The other: that he feared Cleopa­tra ye quene of Egipte, which requyred hyr husbande ofte to slaye Herode, and to geue her yt kyngdome of Iewry. Whā this towne now was beseged of Flauiꝰ Syluanus captayne of the Romanes, and so sore assaulted of them, that they within had no hope more of theyr lyues, or escapynge, they called to mynde how ye Romanes wolde hādle them, yf they toke the cytie, what fearfull martyr dom and payne they shulde put them to, or in what greueous bōdage they shuld be, yee and lese the noble lyberte, wherfore they [Page 58] wolde rather dye then lese it: vpon this had Eleasarus the captayne a goodly oracyon in the kynges palace, wherin he persuaded the people to a wyllynge death, and a true constaūte hart in the lyberte, so that rather then the Romanes shulde haue power vpō them, they shulde preuēte them with gladly and wyllyngly to dye of theyr owne hādes. Some feble harted gaynsayd, pytyeng their wyues and chyldrē, whom Eleasarus so persuaded with many goodly reasons and argumentes of the immortalite of the soule, yt as frantyke men they exhorted ech other to dye, countynge this a token of gelousy and Gods seruyce, yt they onely as fre, obeyenge onely God and not the Romanes, wolde rather fall in the handes of God for theyr fredome, then to come in the handes of ye Ro­manes, and be vilanous slaues and bondmē of the Heythen. Upon this made they haist to dye, none wolde be the laste, suche desyre of deynge was come vpon them. He that grudged to slaye his wyfe or chyldren hymselfe, toke them in his armes, kyssed them, blessed them, and then prayed hys negh­bure for to slaye them. Some other toke the chyldrē out of the mothers lappes, some [Page] mothers offred them themselues, as though they wolde so prouyde for them, ther was none that abhorred such a debe. This wyse slewe euery one his frende, requyred therto of frendshippe, whiche myght not fynde in his harte to do it hymselfe. Many lest they shuld be the last, slewe themselues. The last caryed all theyr goodes vpon an heape, to burne them, (lest they shulde come in ye hā ­des of the Romanes.) As for the corne and other vitayles dyd they leaue in theyr place that they shuld not be rekened ouercome, or cōstrayned to this by famine or desperaciō, but to testifye that they had done this of set purpose, and good and fre mynde. Whan al were kylled saue. x. persons, they cast lottes which of them shulde kyll the other. ix. and he hymselfe at the last also. Whan he onely was lefte, he loked about whether ony were lefte that had nede of his hande. But whan he sawe no body, he set the palace in fyre, & with a valiaūt hande slewe hymselfe. Thus dyed they al in one nyght, whose nōbre was ix. c. and. lx. men, besydes wyues & chyldren, thynkynge none to haue remayned. But. ii. wemen, and. v. boyes, hearynge the conclu­sion and agrement of this dredfull deuyce, [Page 59] hyd themselues in caues or pyttes vnder the earth. The Romanes that lay before the cytie maruayled that they sawe nor herde ony enemyes, but only a fyre, thinkyng nothyng lesse then this fearfull chaunce, came to the walles, gaue a rush at the wall with the battelrame, to se whether ony body wold come in syght. Upon this came forth the forsayde vii. persons, and shewed the Romanes al the matter, which the Romanes wolde not be­leue for the haynousnesse of it, vntyll they came in to the kyngly palace, and foūde all the coarses on a heape: wherof they maruayled and were more abashed, then reioyced. After this lefte Flauius Syluius the cap­tayne men of warre in the towne and fen­sed it to his behofe. But the Sicarii left not of: for suche as were fledde to Alexandria and The be, raysed a new insurreccyon and conspiracyon, persuadynge the Iewes that were there to fyght for theyr fredom, and knowlege God onely to be theyr Lorde.

Such as wolde not cōsente to them, but persuaded the cōtrary, those they slew. For this cause assembled the moost sagest and discre test Iewes such of they: nacyon, as were in other places also, and disclosed the fury and [Page] rashnesse of the sycaries or swearders, she­wynge what myschefe and inconuenience shulde come, yf they folowed theyr mynde, and declared also what vnhappynesse had e­uer ben bred by theyr conspiracyons. Upon this they fell vpon them, toke. vi. c. of them prisoners. Thus were these takē also, which were martyred and put to execucion with diuerse tormentes, only was it required of them to graunte obedience to ye Emperour and call hyin theyr Lorde: the which none of them dyd, nor wolve graunte, but abode styfly by theyr mynde and opinion, suffred death rather lyke brute beastes, than reaso­nable men, yee euen chyldren also: of whose hardneckednesse and constaunce many one dyd wonder and maruayle.

xiiii. Menelaysh & Iasonysh secte.

IN the tyme of Antiochus Epiphanis ye tyraunte, turned many Iewes to thys secte (perchaunce for feare) & yet wold be called good Iewes. These had two byshops vntyll the tyme of the Machabees.

xv. The Amonites and Moabitessecte.

[Page 60] THe Amonites and Moabites be suche as besydes God worshypped the Idoll Moloch, yt is mans wysoome, & after the ensample of Abraham offced theyr chyl­dren vnto God, prouynge it featly with ar­gumentes and wrasted scriptures, sayenge on thys wyse: All that God createth, doth please hym. Now it that pleaseth hym done of the one, pleaseth him also done of another seynge he accepteth no persones: wherfore that we offer vp oure chylderen as Abrahā dyd, is hys wyll and pleasure also.

¶ The conclusion of the Ie­wysh sectes and orders with all the other.

BEholde (good reader) thys Babel or confusion, and compare with thys the Heythenysh and Turkysh secte, and I doute not but thou wylt saye it is the Deuell, which goeth aboute, mommynge wyth so many visores. Thou must confesse also that all sectes, faythes and orders, excepte only the true and fre Christendome and Newe testament (whiche is earnest fayth, lyfe, holy goost, and no lawe or dead letter) are noughte els saue a fonde Iewyshnesse. [Page] But it goeth thus to worke in the worlde, that they which be tryed shulde be manifest i. Cor. xi. nother was ye church euer in a bet­ter case, or more floryshyng, then myddes amonge hyr fyndes, sectes and wolues. For Christ is not come to geue an outwarde or worldly peace, but his peace: that is, of the conscience. The church must growe tryed, & exercysed amonge hyr fyndes. Wherfore let it go that wyl not abyde, for chaffe must be sundered frō corne. This I saye, because that so many sectes be not only no hurte to Christendome, but also profytable, an exer­citacyon of theyr knyghthode and a cōquest of heauen. Sūma summarum it is called: Salutē ex inimicis nostris, and not dānum or desolacionem. Upon this sayeth Christe Mat. xxiiii. that it is not possible the electe shulde be deceaued, but for theyr sake shall ye peryllous dayes be shortened. He that hath once assayed the trueth, shall neuer fall frō it, without he be not of the trueth, and such are letten go: for Christ muste so clense and purge his floore, trye his & separte ye corne from chaffe. i. Corin. xi. But suche shepe of Christe that belonge to God the father, [Page 61] heare no voyce but theyr heerdmans, and can not ahyde the voyce of the straunger. Ioh. x. God knoweth hys, and them cā nomā take out of hys handes. Ioh. x. Thus is Christes prayer herde, namely: yt Peters fayth fayle not in them that be Peters. Luce. xxii But that God rebuketh false prophetes, sayeng that they haue deceaued hys people, he sheweth how the matter was with them: For that haue they done, so much as lyethin them, though God haue letted and not suffered it to be done to hys electe & chosen. Yet are they iustly blamed therfore. For theyr wyll & purpose was good. Now seynge that God iudgeth the harte and wyll, therfore haue they no wronge done to them, but ryght, whan they are iud­ged to be deceauers of the people.

FINIS.

¶ The fayth of the Indians, euen as one Mathew the embassadoure of Presteriās dyd vtter it before Emanuel kynge of Portingale. Anno. M. D. xiii.

1 Fyrst do they beleue with vs the trinite of persons, and one God.

2 And ye same maruaylously to haue crea­ted heauen, earth, and all that is conteyned in both of nothynge.

3 That Iesus Christe, the anoynted kyng the saueoure and the Messias, so oft promy­sed by the Prophetes, the very sonne of the true God, was borne of Mary the virgine both before and after the byrth in Bethleem the cytie of Dauid.

4 And that the same beynge iudged of Pi­late the wycked debite or lewtenaunt of the Romanes in Iewry, dyed at Ierusalem for oure synnes, and was buryed.

5 And continently to haue gone downe to hell, whose gates he brake: and on ye thyrde [Page 62] daye he rose agayne alyue, wyth great vic­tory of hys enemyes and death: and finally to haue ascended vp to heauen by a wonder full ascencion, from whence he came.

6 They beleue also an vniuersall and im­mortall resurrecciō of the bodyes, after thys mortall lyfe.

7 They beleue also in the same fayth, that Christ shall iudge both the good and euell, & that euery man shall receaue rewarde accordynge to hys dedes done in thys lyfe.

8 After thys iudgmēt shall the godly haue euerlastynge ioye, but the wycked euerla­stynge payne.

9 They (as we) kepe the. x. commaunde­mentes.

10 They graunte. vii. deadly synnes also.

11 They haue all the bokes of scrypture as we.

12 They haue the. iiii. gospels also.

13 And of Paules Epistles do they want none.

14 They approue all ye artikles of ye crede.

15 They prefer the pater noster before all other prayers.

16 They make much also of ye Aue Mary.

17 Theyr chyldren do they baptyse wyth [Page] holy water on the. vii. daye, and also circum­cise them after Moses law, after ye costume and vse of longe tyme.

18 On twolftyde also doth all the people yearly professe opēly theyr fayth with great ioye, and so are they baptysed agayne.

19 They saye masse also nerehande after our vse, & that nother for lucre or auaūtage.

20 The sacramente of altare do they es­teme the chefe and principall, confessynge syncerely there to be the body and bloude of Christ, and cōmunicate vnder both kyndes.

21 They confesse the holy oyle & anoyntyng to be sacramētes.

22 As soone as they haue synned, do they to shreue themselues to a prest.

23 The penaunce do they diligētly fulfyl.

24 Fastynge do they accomplysh wythout eatynge of flesh or fysh.

25. Lent do they begynne on Septua­gesima.

26 The Sondaye and other holy dayes institute of theyr byshops, do they kepe reuerently.

27 They haue the remembraunce of Christes passion on the last weke of lent, as we.

28 Palmesōdaye do they vse with vs also, [Page 63] and Candelmasse.

29 Procession goynge do they vse also.

30 They kepe Alhalowtyde and alsoule daye also.

31 Ashwednysoaye accordeth with vs, both in ceremonyes and tyme.

32 They haue also monasteryes, not only of men, but also of wemen, lyuynge in great abstinence.

33 Wherof some cloysters haue. vii. or. viii. C. or a. M. persons.

34 One hyll is there, wheron dwell. xii. M. religious persons, whiche maye in no wyse begge, but laboure for theyr lyuynges: neuerthelesse yf ony almesse be geuē them, that maye they take welynough, so that it be not craued.

35 They haue preachers to teach Chri­stes fayth, and that of ye best learned amōge the prestes and religious.

36 There are many hospitals for the poore only to be lodged and tended.

37 The churches are a centuary for mys­doers, but so, that he that is manslayer be so slenderly fed that at the laste he must dye of hungre.

38 Theyr dead do they bury wyth no lesse [Page] ceremonyes than we, & also in churches.

39 Holy men and of heauenly conuersaciō do they canonizat, after they haue searched theyr lyfe diligently.

40 Men mary but one wyfe at once, and that at the church dore.

41 And after olde costumes & lawes they mary none wythin ye. vii. degre, nother may theyr Patriarke dispense here wyth.

42 They haue images of all sayntes in theyr churches.

43 Holy water do they kepe, and thynke ye it chaseth awaye wycked spretes.

44 They haue many churches, belles and holy vestimentes for spirituall seruices.

45 They kepe mydsomer moost solemly.

46 They begynne the yeare at Septēbre.

47 They knowe ther is an head byshop of Rome, but the cause that they obey hym not, is the great distaunce from hym.

48 Saynte Bartholomew the Apostle taught them fyrst the fayth and gospell.

49 Theyr prestes are maryed, but after the wyues deceasse they mary not agayne: neuerthelesse theyr patriarke lyueth chaste.

¶ Thys dyd ye aforesayde Mathew confesse in the presēce of the nobles & clargy of Portyngale.

[Page 64] ¶ Here endeth the treatyse of all sectes, orders and religions, both of Christendom and the Iewes: Translated out of hye Dutch in Englyshe.

¶ Printed in Southwarke by me Iames Nicolson for Ihon Gough.

Cum Priuilegio.

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